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- Feb 11, 2007
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Embattled PCCB chief finally on his way out
By Bernard James
THW CITIZEN
The director general of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), Mr Edward Hoseah, could finally be on his way out of the anti-corruption watchdog's top post, impeccable sources have revealed.
Highly placed sources have confided in The Citizen that the process to find a replacement for Mr Hoseah had begun.
They said the search for the country's next anti-corruption tsar was initiated a month ago and was in top gear.
Three respected personalities in public service, including a retired judge, have been identified as potential replacements, said one of the sources, who works with the judiciary.
These three individuals have been interviewed and the directorate of intelligence is vetting them before the successful candidate is named.
If all goes according to plan, the Government could announce changes in the bureau�s management before the end of this year.
However, Minister of State in the President's Office (Good Governance) Sophia Simba said she was not aware of the move to replace Mr Hoseah.
I'm not aware of any such plan. We do not have such information at the ministry, Ms Simba said by telephone from Dodoma last week when reached for comment.
She pointed out, however, that that any such process was in most cases initiated by the President himself. Changes of this nature are mostly done by the Head of State himself through other organs, she said.
Efforts to get a comment from the State House Directorate of Communications were futile by the time of filing this report.
The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Act 2007, empowers the President to hire and fire the agency's director.
PCCB has been under intense scrutiny since it was accused of incompetence after failing to detect corrupt dealings in awarding of a tender to generate emergency electricity to a briefcase outfit Richmond Development Company in 2006.
Parliament heard last week that the bureau had been hit by endless internal wrangles. Kigoma North MP Kabwe Zitto said senior PCCB officials were reportedly at loggerheads.
The rift, he told the House, had resulted in a witch-hunt among PCCB's top management.
But winding up debate on her ministry's budget estimates, Minister of State in the President's Office (Public Service Management) Hawa Ghasia said the Government was not aware of internal conflicts in PCCB.
She said, however, that the Government would investigate the reports to establish the truth.
What I can say is that the Government is not aware of the existence of conflicts and rifts among employees at the anti-corruption bureau. However, the Government will seek to establish if the claims are true, Ms Ghasia said, adding that PCCB was performing well.
But the Opposition claims that PCCB was not performing well, citing its failure to take legal action against individuals implicated in the Richmond scandal for which Mr Hoseah was harshly criticised and accused of attempting to clear the name of the company was which censored in Parliament earlier this year.
The public and some parliamentarians have continued to mount pressure on the PCCB boss to quit over the agency's alleged failure to investigate grand corruption allegations and take appropriate legal action.
According to one of our sources, the embattled Hoseah has survived as PCCB boss to allow the team formed late last year to investigate the Sh133billion External Payment Arrears (EPA) embezzlement scandal to finish its work. Mr Hoseah is a member of the team that is expected to submit its report later this week.
The team also comprises Inspector General of Police, Saidi Mwema, Attorney General Johnson Mwanyika and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Eliezer Feleshi.
By Bernard James
THW CITIZEN
The director general of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), Mr Edward Hoseah, could finally be on his way out of the anti-corruption watchdog's top post, impeccable sources have revealed.
Highly placed sources have confided in The Citizen that the process to find a replacement for Mr Hoseah had begun.
They said the search for the country's next anti-corruption tsar was initiated a month ago and was in top gear.
Three respected personalities in public service, including a retired judge, have been identified as potential replacements, said one of the sources, who works with the judiciary.
These three individuals have been interviewed and the directorate of intelligence is vetting them before the successful candidate is named.
If all goes according to plan, the Government could announce changes in the bureau�s management before the end of this year.
However, Minister of State in the President's Office (Good Governance) Sophia Simba said she was not aware of the move to replace Mr Hoseah.
I'm not aware of any such plan. We do not have such information at the ministry, Ms Simba said by telephone from Dodoma last week when reached for comment.
She pointed out, however, that that any such process was in most cases initiated by the President himself. Changes of this nature are mostly done by the Head of State himself through other organs, she said.
Efforts to get a comment from the State House Directorate of Communications were futile by the time of filing this report.
The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Act 2007, empowers the President to hire and fire the agency's director.
PCCB has been under intense scrutiny since it was accused of incompetence after failing to detect corrupt dealings in awarding of a tender to generate emergency electricity to a briefcase outfit Richmond Development Company in 2006.
Parliament heard last week that the bureau had been hit by endless internal wrangles. Kigoma North MP Kabwe Zitto said senior PCCB officials were reportedly at loggerheads.
The rift, he told the House, had resulted in a witch-hunt among PCCB's top management.
But winding up debate on her ministry's budget estimates, Minister of State in the President's Office (Public Service Management) Hawa Ghasia said the Government was not aware of internal conflicts in PCCB.
She said, however, that the Government would investigate the reports to establish the truth.
What I can say is that the Government is not aware of the existence of conflicts and rifts among employees at the anti-corruption bureau. However, the Government will seek to establish if the claims are true, Ms Ghasia said, adding that PCCB was performing well.
But the Opposition claims that PCCB was not performing well, citing its failure to take legal action against individuals implicated in the Richmond scandal for which Mr Hoseah was harshly criticised and accused of attempting to clear the name of the company was which censored in Parliament earlier this year.
The public and some parliamentarians have continued to mount pressure on the PCCB boss to quit over the agency's alleged failure to investigate grand corruption allegations and take appropriate legal action.
According to one of our sources, the embattled Hoseah has survived as PCCB boss to allow the team formed late last year to investigate the Sh133billion External Payment Arrears (EPA) embezzlement scandal to finish its work. Mr Hoseah is a member of the team that is expected to submit its report later this week.
The team also comprises Inspector General of Police, Saidi Mwema, Attorney General Johnson Mwanyika and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Eliezer Feleshi.
