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- Feb 11, 2007
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Govt chopper for sale
The Bell 206 helicopter owned by the Tanzania Police Force. The defence ministry recently bought four civilian Augusta Bell helicopters of its own for the Tanzania People`s Defence Forces (TPDF). It is unclear at the moment exactly which helicopter has been earmarked for sale by the government.
-Helicopters have of late become a popular means of transport for local politicians during election campaigns, enabling candidates to reach remote areas and also serving as a crowd-puller
Dar es Salaam
THIS DAY
THE government has put one of its helicopters, along with various spare parts, up for sale and interested bidders given a deadline of mid-next month to submit offers.
The pending sale of the government chopper was advertised for the first time earlier this year with the initial deadline set for April 5. However, the Ministerial Tender Board in the ministry of finance has now re-advertised the tender and set November 15 this year as the new deadline for submission of tenders.
According to the specifications of Tender No. 1 of 2006/07 as advertised through a weekly regional newspaper last week, the government is inviting bids for the purchase of a boarded helicopter and spare parts on as is, where is basis.
It says details of the helicopter plus a list of the spare parts available and further information can be found on the official website of the ministry of finance.
However, when visited yesterday, the ministrys website showed only the tender notice as printed in the newspaper but did not provide any of the stated additional information.
While reasons for the sale of the government chopper and details of the tender documents remain sketchy, THISDAY understands that the government currently has a fleet of around three Agusta Bell helicopters.
One of them, model Bell 206, is owned by the police force and has traditionally been the only such aircraft owned by the government.
Apart from normal police operations, the machine has been put to use in various rescue missions and to fly top government leaders to remote locations in the country.
The Ministry of Defence and National Service recently bought four Agusta Bell helicopters model 412 EP for the Tanzania Peoples Defence Forces (TPDF). It is understood that two of these aircraft are currently in service.
Investigations by THISDAY have established that the helicopters bought for the TPDF are soft-skin, civilian choppers that are not suitable for specialised military operations.
A private company, Khaisa Enterprises Limited, has already filed a 17bn/- suit against the defence ministry for breach of contract in connection with the supply of helicopters to the TPDF.
The firm is seeking compensation amounting to 10 million euros (approx. 16.8bn/-) from the ministry for unlawfully dishonouring an agreement between the two parties over the supply of the choppers.
In the ongoing civil case number 74 of 2007 being handled by the High Court in Dar es Salaam, the Attorney General � in his position as the governments chief legal advisor - has also been named as respondent alongside the ministrys permanent secretary.
According to details of the plaint obtained by THISDAY, Khaisa Enterprises claims that the defence ministry went against a valid contract in which the company was to supply six units of COUGAR AS 532 helicopters manufactured by Frances Eurocopters company at a total cost of 125 million euros (approx. 210bn/-).
It is alleged that the Augusta Bell choppers eventually purchased for the TPDF had already been rejected by the defendants (defence ministry), on the basis that the same were of inferior quality and were civilian helicopters, while defendants required helicopters for military use.
It is further alleged that the defence ministry purchased helicopters at a higher cost of $9.263m each, contrary to the ones proposed by the plaintiff (Khaisa Enterprises Ltd) which were relatively cheaper at $4.7m each, thus making the nation suffer a loss of $4.563m for each helicopter purchased.
Our sources say a local company, Merlin International Limited, was the agent used to supply the Agusta Bell helicopters to the government at vastly inflated prices.
Merlin International, registered in the name of local businessmen Shailesh Vithlani and Tanil Somaiya, has also been linked to the controversial 28 million pounds sterling (approx. 70bn/-) military radar system purchase, the governments purchase of a $40m (50.7bn/-) Gulfstream presidential jet, the supply of over 600 IVECO military trucks to TPDF and various other dubious deals.
Helicopters have of late become a popular means of transport for some local politicians during election campaigns, enabling candidates to reach remote areas and at the same time serving as a crowd puller
The Bell 206 helicopter owned by the Tanzania Police Force. The defence ministry recently bought four civilian Augusta Bell helicopters of its own for the Tanzania People`s Defence Forces (TPDF). It is unclear at the moment exactly which helicopter has been earmarked for sale by the government.
-Helicopters have of late become a popular means of transport for local politicians during election campaigns, enabling candidates to reach remote areas and also serving as a crowd-puller
Dar es Salaam
THIS DAY
THE government has put one of its helicopters, along with various spare parts, up for sale and interested bidders given a deadline of mid-next month to submit offers.
The pending sale of the government chopper was advertised for the first time earlier this year with the initial deadline set for April 5. However, the Ministerial Tender Board in the ministry of finance has now re-advertised the tender and set November 15 this year as the new deadline for submission of tenders.
According to the specifications of Tender No. 1 of 2006/07 as advertised through a weekly regional newspaper last week, the government is inviting bids for the purchase of a boarded helicopter and spare parts on as is, where is basis.
It says details of the helicopter plus a list of the spare parts available and further information can be found on the official website of the ministry of finance.
However, when visited yesterday, the ministrys website showed only the tender notice as printed in the newspaper but did not provide any of the stated additional information.
While reasons for the sale of the government chopper and details of the tender documents remain sketchy, THISDAY understands that the government currently has a fleet of around three Agusta Bell helicopters.
One of them, model Bell 206, is owned by the police force and has traditionally been the only such aircraft owned by the government.
Apart from normal police operations, the machine has been put to use in various rescue missions and to fly top government leaders to remote locations in the country.
The Ministry of Defence and National Service recently bought four Agusta Bell helicopters model 412 EP for the Tanzania Peoples Defence Forces (TPDF). It is understood that two of these aircraft are currently in service.
Investigations by THISDAY have established that the helicopters bought for the TPDF are soft-skin, civilian choppers that are not suitable for specialised military operations.
A private company, Khaisa Enterprises Limited, has already filed a 17bn/- suit against the defence ministry for breach of contract in connection with the supply of helicopters to the TPDF.
The firm is seeking compensation amounting to 10 million euros (approx. 16.8bn/-) from the ministry for unlawfully dishonouring an agreement between the two parties over the supply of the choppers.
In the ongoing civil case number 74 of 2007 being handled by the High Court in Dar es Salaam, the Attorney General � in his position as the governments chief legal advisor - has also been named as respondent alongside the ministrys permanent secretary.
According to details of the plaint obtained by THISDAY, Khaisa Enterprises claims that the defence ministry went against a valid contract in which the company was to supply six units of COUGAR AS 532 helicopters manufactured by Frances Eurocopters company at a total cost of 125 million euros (approx. 210bn/-).
It is alleged that the Augusta Bell choppers eventually purchased for the TPDF had already been rejected by the defendants (defence ministry), on the basis that the same were of inferior quality and were civilian helicopters, while defendants required helicopters for military use.
It is further alleged that the defence ministry purchased helicopters at a higher cost of $9.263m each, contrary to the ones proposed by the plaintiff (Khaisa Enterprises Ltd) which were relatively cheaper at $4.7m each, thus making the nation suffer a loss of $4.563m for each helicopter purchased.
Our sources say a local company, Merlin International Limited, was the agent used to supply the Agusta Bell helicopters to the government at vastly inflated prices.
Merlin International, registered in the name of local businessmen Shailesh Vithlani and Tanil Somaiya, has also been linked to the controversial 28 million pounds sterling (approx. 70bn/-) military radar system purchase, the governments purchase of a $40m (50.7bn/-) Gulfstream presidential jet, the supply of over 600 IVECO military trucks to TPDF and various other dubious deals.
Helicopters have of late become a popular means of transport for some local politicians during election campaigns, enabling candidates to reach remote areas and at the same time serving as a crowd puller
