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Panic as cabinet shuffle looms
By Guardian on sunday team
15th November 2009
As SFO sticks to its guns
A stormy Cabinet meeting held in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday this week, has touched off much panic and anxiety amongst ministers, especially those who are doubtful whether they will survive in their portfolios for too long ahead in next year's general election.
According to a credible source who attended the meeting chaired by President Kikwete, some of them are already pondering their political future ahead the 2010 general election.
"We don't know our fate as a Cabinet reshuffle looms…there's every indication that some of us won't survive," a minister speaking under condition of anonymity told The Guardian on Sunday.
According to our source, what irked the President was abysmal performance of some of the ministers as well as their stand on key issues, including the war against grand corruption.
"What the President is waiting for is the final report of the Mwinyi's committee," said our source, in reference to the outcome of a probe undertaken by a team led by the retired second phase president into rifts within the ruling CCM party, and proposed remedies.
The source added that the report, plus President Kikwete's own assessment of his Cabinet for the past two years, would be used as criteria to re-arrange the Cabinet ahead of the 2010 election.
At least six cabinet ministers are booked following their abysmal performance recorded during the past two years as their ministries failed to deliver as anticipated.
From cabinet minister ‘crying' for a multibillion lucrative government tender to defending those tainted in corruption allegations, some of the current ministers have become a stumbling block, causing a wide rift between the government and the people.
It is understood that President Kikwete's key missions so far is marketing and implementing "Kilimo Kwanza" programme focused on rejuvenating the agricultural sector, plus fighting grand corruption, which so far takes a third of the annual national budget.
According to our source, apart from accusations of abysmal performance, the six ministers are believed to be creating a rift between the government and the Parliament.
These ministers according to our source have also widened the rift between the government and the ordinary citizens due to their controversial stand on key issues facing the country, including the war against grand corruption.
"We are in a very sensitive period as we approach the general elections, whereby key issues such as fighting corruption and delivering services to the people matters a lot," the source said.
"I have attended various Cabinet meetings but this one was very tough…the visibly agitated President spoke strongly, and surprises are in store," the source further told The Guardian on Sunday.
The Guardian on Sunday has reliably established that after Wednesday meeting, some ministers have already ‘sensed a political downfall' should a Cabinet reshuffle take place anytime from now.
Another member of National Executive Committee who once served as a Cabinet minister also told The Guardian on Sunday that ‘I am very sure there will be a Cabinet reshuffle' anytime as the country approaches 2010 election.
"Take my words…with what has transpired during the Mwinyi committee meeting in Dodoma plus the slow pace of government service delivery, the reshuffle is imminent," the NEC member who declined to be named told The Guardian on Sunday yesterday.
Meanwhile, the revelation by Minister Sofia Simba that the Serious Fraud Office has cleared one of the radar scam suspects has irked the UK's investigators.
Madam Sofia Simba, the Minister of State in the President's Office responsible for Good Governance, last week came out strongly claiming that the man at the centre of the radar scam has been cleared of any wrongdoing by UK's Serious Fraud Office.
According to the minister, the SFO has already issued a letter to clear former Attorney General Andrew John Chenge.
But, what the minister didn't know was that her claims would backfire even before the twisted lies sink deep into the minds of Tanzanians.
But just a week after the minister's revelation, The Guardian on Sunday has authoritatively established that neither the Serious Fraud Office nor the UK's Attorney General has cleared any of the key suspects in the radar scam.
According to inside sources within the SFO, the only authorities that have the mandate to clear any suspects with Chenge included, are the Supreme Court or the Attorney General.
"We are appalled by the minister's move to discuss openly the matter that is still under our investigation…We haven't closed this matter," a senior SFO official close to the investigation team told our correspondent in London on Thursday, this week.
The official who declined to be named under the grounds that he is not the authorised person to speak to the press about the matter added, "What we know is that our counterparts from the PCCB have cleared the man (Chenge)."
According to the official, Chenge's explanation about the source of his wealth is not satisfactory; leaving more doubts on whether the $2million found in his offshore bank account in Jersey was acquired legally or not.
The official added, "We have been reading various versions of the radar deal from the Tanzanian press, but the latest mess by the Minister has shocked us…Politicians should not interfere with ongoing investigations."
"We were even puzzled to learn that one of our letters sent to the Tanzanian authority last year was leaked to the press word for word," the official added.
In March last year, UK investigators probing the controversial $40m BAE radar deal claimed that ex-Infrastructure minister Chenge received $1.5m (2.1bn/-) in kickbacks from the deal through a slush fund he set up in the UK island of Jersey.
According to SFO's draft, Chenge received payments through six credit transfers between June 19, 1997, and April 17, 1998, while he was serving as Attorney General.
The SFO draft further claimed that, the monies were paid to account No.59662999 owned by Franton Investment Limited through Bank Code No 204505 of Barclays Bank Plc.
The SFO proved beyond reasonable doubt that Chenge owns Franton Investment- a registered company that appears to have been established primarily to facilitate the transfer of the money.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
By Guardian on sunday team
15th November 2009
As SFO sticks to its guns
A stormy Cabinet meeting held in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday this week, has touched off much panic and anxiety amongst ministers, especially those who are doubtful whether they will survive in their portfolios for too long ahead in next year's general election.
According to a credible source who attended the meeting chaired by President Kikwete, some of them are already pondering their political future ahead the 2010 general election.
"We don't know our fate as a Cabinet reshuffle looms…there's every indication that some of us won't survive," a minister speaking under condition of anonymity told The Guardian on Sunday.
According to our source, what irked the President was abysmal performance of some of the ministers as well as their stand on key issues, including the war against grand corruption.
"What the President is waiting for is the final report of the Mwinyi's committee," said our source, in reference to the outcome of a probe undertaken by a team led by the retired second phase president into rifts within the ruling CCM party, and proposed remedies.
The source added that the report, plus President Kikwete's own assessment of his Cabinet for the past two years, would be used as criteria to re-arrange the Cabinet ahead of the 2010 election.
At least six cabinet ministers are booked following their abysmal performance recorded during the past two years as their ministries failed to deliver as anticipated.
From cabinet minister ‘crying' for a multibillion lucrative government tender to defending those tainted in corruption allegations, some of the current ministers have become a stumbling block, causing a wide rift between the government and the people.
It is understood that President Kikwete's key missions so far is marketing and implementing "Kilimo Kwanza" programme focused on rejuvenating the agricultural sector, plus fighting grand corruption, which so far takes a third of the annual national budget.
According to our source, apart from accusations of abysmal performance, the six ministers are believed to be creating a rift between the government and the Parliament.
These ministers according to our source have also widened the rift between the government and the ordinary citizens due to their controversial stand on key issues facing the country, including the war against grand corruption.
"We are in a very sensitive period as we approach the general elections, whereby key issues such as fighting corruption and delivering services to the people matters a lot," the source said.
"I have attended various Cabinet meetings but this one was very tough…the visibly agitated President spoke strongly, and surprises are in store," the source further told The Guardian on Sunday.
The Guardian on Sunday has reliably established that after Wednesday meeting, some ministers have already ‘sensed a political downfall' should a Cabinet reshuffle take place anytime from now.
Another member of National Executive Committee who once served as a Cabinet minister also told The Guardian on Sunday that ‘I am very sure there will be a Cabinet reshuffle' anytime as the country approaches 2010 election.
"Take my words…with what has transpired during the Mwinyi committee meeting in Dodoma plus the slow pace of government service delivery, the reshuffle is imminent," the NEC member who declined to be named told The Guardian on Sunday yesterday.
Meanwhile, the revelation by Minister Sofia Simba that the Serious Fraud Office has cleared one of the radar scam suspects has irked the UK's investigators.
Madam Sofia Simba, the Minister of State in the President's Office responsible for Good Governance, last week came out strongly claiming that the man at the centre of the radar scam has been cleared of any wrongdoing by UK's Serious Fraud Office.
According to the minister, the SFO has already issued a letter to clear former Attorney General Andrew John Chenge.
But, what the minister didn't know was that her claims would backfire even before the twisted lies sink deep into the minds of Tanzanians.
But just a week after the minister's revelation, The Guardian on Sunday has authoritatively established that neither the Serious Fraud Office nor the UK's Attorney General has cleared any of the key suspects in the radar scam.
According to inside sources within the SFO, the only authorities that have the mandate to clear any suspects with Chenge included, are the Supreme Court or the Attorney General.
"We are appalled by the minister's move to discuss openly the matter that is still under our investigation…We haven't closed this matter," a senior SFO official close to the investigation team told our correspondent in London on Thursday, this week.
The official who declined to be named under the grounds that he is not the authorised person to speak to the press about the matter added, "What we know is that our counterparts from the PCCB have cleared the man (Chenge)."
According to the official, Chenge's explanation about the source of his wealth is not satisfactory; leaving more doubts on whether the $2million found in his offshore bank account in Jersey was acquired legally or not.
The official added, "We have been reading various versions of the radar deal from the Tanzanian press, but the latest mess by the Minister has shocked us…Politicians should not interfere with ongoing investigations."
"We were even puzzled to learn that one of our letters sent to the Tanzanian authority last year was leaked to the press word for word," the official added.
In March last year, UK investigators probing the controversial $40m BAE radar deal claimed that ex-Infrastructure minister Chenge received $1.5m (2.1bn/-) in kickbacks from the deal through a slush fund he set up in the UK island of Jersey.
According to SFO's draft, Chenge received payments through six credit transfers between June 19, 1997, and April 17, 1998, while he was serving as Attorney General.
The SFO draft further claimed that, the monies were paid to account No.59662999 owned by Franton Investment Limited through Bank Code No 204505 of Barclays Bank Plc.
The SFO proved beyond reasonable doubt that Chenge owns Franton Investment- a registered company that appears to have been established primarily to facilitate the transfer of the money.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
