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Wikileaks revelations put govt in corner
By Judica Tarimo
5th January 2011
ATCL reports not submitted for public scrutiny - Zitto
As government prepares response on the Wikileaks revelations of corruption allegations in the Air Tanzania Company Limited jetliner purchase deal, it has been learnt that the public firm never submitted reports to the parliamentary watchdog committee during the time.
Zitto Kabwe, former chairman of a parliamentary committee overseeing public organizations accounts, expressing ignorance of the purchase details, said although Air Tanzania was a public firm, its audited reports had not been submitted to the responsible parliamentary committee for the last five years.
According to the Kigoma North MP, the parliamentary committee could not access its audited reports because of certain factors -one being that the national flag carrier was restructured in 2006 and later on, a special task force appointed to shape its operations.
"Because of these factors, the parliamentary committee on public institutions did not manage to get audited reports of ATCL operations," said Kabwe.
"On that basis, I cannot make any comment regarding suspected corrupt dealings in the processes of purchasing of the said aircraft by Air Tanzania as revealed by Wikileaks. I cannot do that from a parliamentary perspective; I cannot do that from personal perceptive, because of I was not aware of these dealings," noted Kabwe.
"I am still following up these unfolding issues and will comment later on," he added.
"If an MP like me is not aware of this latest ATCL scam, ordinary people cannot understand anything," he said.
Transport minister Omari Nundu, complaining of a flurry of calls from journalists, promised to provide official government stance regarding corruption allegations that surrounded the multi-billion deal for the purchaseof ten airplanes for Air Tanzania (ATCL) four years ago.
"That's too much for me. Since morning, I have been receiving calls from journalists on this issue," I have many pressing issues; I have not gone through Wikileaks revelations on the issue. But I will give the official government position today (yesterday) or tomorrow (today) after reading the reports," said Nundu.
The Wikileaks revealed diplomatic dispatches from the US Embassy complaining of favouritism and suspicion of corruption in the manner Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) went about shopping for jetliners for its ageing fleet, four years ago.
According to the cables carried in the New York Times of Sunday, January 2 this year, the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam fighting for Boeing then said: "As Air Tanzania shops for new airplanes for its ageing fleet, we remain troubled by separate press reports, quoting Air Tanzania leadership and most recently the Minister of Infrastructure that a decision has been made in favour of Airbus."
Doreen Kapwani, Public Relations Officer of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) said: "I cannot comment on it because I am on leave."
Former ATCL managing director, David Mattaka, who as the CEO of ATCL then was one of the key figures involved in the purchase deals, was on Monday quoted by local media as dismissing Wikileaks reports. "….I don't think I have made such suggestions to anyone and in any case, it doesn't make sense to me," said Mattaka.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
By Judica Tarimo
5th January 2011
ATCL reports not submitted for public scrutiny - Zitto
As government prepares response on the Wikileaks revelations of corruption allegations in the Air Tanzania Company Limited jetliner purchase deal, it has been learnt that the public firm never submitted reports to the parliamentary watchdog committee during the time.
Zitto Kabwe, former chairman of a parliamentary committee overseeing public organizations accounts, expressing ignorance of the purchase details, said although Air Tanzania was a public firm, its audited reports had not been submitted to the responsible parliamentary committee for the last five years.
According to the Kigoma North MP, the parliamentary committee could not access its audited reports because of certain factors -one being that the national flag carrier was restructured in 2006 and later on, a special task force appointed to shape its operations.
"Because of these factors, the parliamentary committee on public institutions did not manage to get audited reports of ATCL operations," said Kabwe.
"On that basis, I cannot make any comment regarding suspected corrupt dealings in the processes of purchasing of the said aircraft by Air Tanzania as revealed by Wikileaks. I cannot do that from a parliamentary perspective; I cannot do that from personal perceptive, because of I was not aware of these dealings," noted Kabwe.
"I am still following up these unfolding issues and will comment later on," he added.
"If an MP like me is not aware of this latest ATCL scam, ordinary people cannot understand anything," he said.
Transport minister Omari Nundu, complaining of a flurry of calls from journalists, promised to provide official government stance regarding corruption allegations that surrounded the multi-billion deal for the purchaseof ten airplanes for Air Tanzania (ATCL) four years ago.
"That's too much for me. Since morning, I have been receiving calls from journalists on this issue," I have many pressing issues; I have not gone through Wikileaks revelations on the issue. But I will give the official government position today (yesterday) or tomorrow (today) after reading the reports," said Nundu.
The Wikileaks revealed diplomatic dispatches from the US Embassy complaining of favouritism and suspicion of corruption in the manner Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) went about shopping for jetliners for its ageing fleet, four years ago.
According to the cables carried in the New York Times of Sunday, January 2 this year, the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam fighting for Boeing then said: "As Air Tanzania shops for new airplanes for its ageing fleet, we remain troubled by separate press reports, quoting Air Tanzania leadership and most recently the Minister of Infrastructure that a decision has been made in favour of Airbus."
Doreen Kapwani, Public Relations Officer of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) said: "I cannot comment on it because I am on leave."
Former ATCL managing director, David Mattaka, who as the CEO of ATCL then was one of the key figures involved in the purchase deals, was on Monday quoted by local media as dismissing Wikileaks reports. "….I don't think I have made such suggestions to anyone and in any case, it doesn't make sense to me," said Mattaka.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
