Meremeta & TANGOLD Revealed!

[Semilong]

MMJ
ndio maana usipoonekana jamvini watu lazima wazushe......

shairi nimelikubali

 

[BAK]

2009-06-24 07:52:00

Slaa up in arms on 'silencing' in House
By Faraja Jube Dodoma
THE CITIZEN​

Karatu MP Willibrod Slaa has threatened to "go public" with what he said were issues of national interest the Parliament blocked him from tabling in the august House on Monday.

Some MPs heckled the firebrand opposition leader as he stood up in parliament on Monday to give a speech on the Prime Minister's Office 2009/10 Budget.

Dr Slaa had reportedly prepared a vitriolic attack on former President Benjamin Mkapa and the Government over alleged mismanagement of funds.

Before giving his speech, the Chadema leader was reminded to respect the Parliamentary Standing Orders and warned not to breach the law in his presentation.

But in an interview with The Citizen yesterday, Dr Slaa said the National Assembly Speaker, Mr Samwel Sitta, had no right to block debate on sensitive public issues.

He said: "I have written to the Speaker asking him why unnecessary restrictions are being imposed on MPs who want to discuss matters of public interest in parliament."

He threatened to go public with the same issues he was barred from presenting in parliament saying he had the right to let people know about matters that affected them.

"If they don't want us to speak in parliament, it will reach a point where the only reasonable thing to do is table the agenda to the people," said Dr Slaa.

CCM MPs accused the opposition legislator of attempting to use the platform to launch a verbal attack against Mr Mkapa.

Mr Mudhihir Mudhihir (Mchinga-CCM) defended the former president saying he had done "a lot of good things but people want to see the negative only".

"It was under his leadership that this country recorded significant increases in Government revenue," the MP said, praising Mr Mkapa's administration for containing inflation and opening a number of trade opportunities.

Another CCM legislator, Dr Chrisant Mzindakaya (Kwela), tried to have Dr Slaa blocked from presenting his speech at all.

But even when he finally gave his speech, the opposition leader was forced to skip tabling his prepared questions on controversial deals the Mkapa administration allegedly signed.

And in an apparent reference to Dr Slaa, Dr Mzindakaya lashed out at "jealousy hypocrites and good-for-nothing crusaders against corruption".

"Those who criticise Mr Mkapa are agents of the Devil and loafers who have done nothing in life, but are motivated by jealousy and hatred. They are themselves corrupt people," he said.

But Dr Slaa insisted he would not relent on the issues he was barred from talking about saying the Constitution and Parliamentary Immunities and Privileges Act guarantee MPs the freedom to challenge the Government in the parliament.

"I will not accept such moves by anyone any more. This is all compromising principles. But I will stand up for my principles and for justice. We all have the right voice our concerns," he said.

Dr Slaa, who had prepared his disputed speech as a shadow minister, said the Government was obliged to respond to all queries raised by MPs in parliament.

"Even if the issues are sensitive, this is the whole purpose of raising them so that people can know and be informed about what is going on," he said.

"But there has been a tendency to block all sensitive issues from being discussed in parliament," he added.

Before he gave his controversial speech, Mr Sitta told the opposition MP he had read the speech and warned him against making statements that breached parliamentary regulations.

The Speaker had also ordered Dr Slaa not to use abusive language against a former president or discuss issues that had been lined for debate during the session.

Earlier, the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Justice, Constitutional Affairs and Governance, Mr George Lubeleje, a CCM MP, had tabled the committee's position against Dr Slaa's speech.

However, the opposition leader retorted: "Why must I have any confidence in the committee or Speaker's office if they insist on imposing on us?"

He questioned the Speaker's application of the Parliamentary Standing Orders to the contentious issues of Meremeta, Tangold, Mwananchi and Deep Green Finance companies.

Last Friday, Dr Slaa asked the Government to respond to allegations of funds mismanagement involving the four companies that have become subjects of public debate.

"I was just questioning the Government over the embezzlement of Sh155 billion in Meremeta and not about the issues pertaining to national security," he said.

Mr Sitta postponed the debate to this Monday saying the Government should be given time to prepare its response.

But Dr Slaa also questioned the Parliament barred debate on the CAG report. "Where does the Speaker obtain the directive to block the debate?"

On the PMO's 2009/10 Budget estimates, the Chadema leader queried the allocation of billions of shillings to entertainment and hospitality, which he said had nothing to do the welfare of people.

He had to put up with sporadic interventions, mainly from Mr Philip Marmo, the minister of State in the President's Office (Good Governance), who also serves as coordinator of parliamentary activities.

Mr Marmo wanted, among other things, the Speaker to reprimand Dr Slaa for his reference to the amount of funds set aside for particular votes in the Government's Budget.

However, Mr Sitta said there was nothing wrong with the MP debating the Government's budget priorities.

 

[Makaayamawe]

Kama Meremeta ni siri, TANGOLD nao pia ni siri?

 

[Materanus]

I think the speaker is confusing me, on which side is he? When Kikwete was giving immunity to Mafisadi, he disagreeing with him saying that the president should stand for the benefit of the nation. Now he is granting immunity to Meremeta, something must be wrong somewhere, I just figure it out

 

[The Farmer]

Hii ndio Tanzania, kila siku utasikia UFISADI. Na Mh JK ametulia kabisa wala hajali chochote ndio kwanza yeye anapiga misele Marekani, Uingereza, Sauzi nk. Swala la Meremeta limeshakua siri za kijeshi haliwezi kuzungumzwa tena. Kama ingekuwa kila kitu kiko fine Meremeta ingekaguliwa kiulaini bila ya kujali jeshi.

TANGOLD itapigwa chenga mpaka wadanganyika tutakaa kimya.

According to the findings of earlier THISDAY investigations, the BoT paid $13.34m (approx. 17bn/-) into a bank account under the name of TANGOLD Limited, at the National Bank of Commerce Limited Corporate Branch in Dar es Salaam. This came on the heels of another BoT payment to a foreign bank account, amounting to over $118m (approx. 150bn/-), to liquidate a loan issued to the now-defunct Meremeta Gold Mine company.

Sasa Mh JK ataendelea kukaa kimya mpaka lini??

 

[Sikonge]

Mwanakijiji,

Unaomba wakati uko USA? Mimi nimeshuhudia Bush akiwa anapita sehemu watu wanashout hoja zao ndiyo ije kikwete a. Kuomba ni huku bongo hebu nendeni mkiwa hata wanne tu na mabango yenu mtapata coverage ya kutosha na huenda mkaokoa mamilioni ya watanzania wanaokufa huku. Mfuateni kokote kule aliko tunawaomba jamani?

Wee Mshamba wa Mbeya, leo Mnyamwezi umenipa RAHA NDANI YA ROHO.

Tangu tufahamiane tumekuwa tukirushiana MAKOMBORA. Ila leo nabadili hadi SAHIHI yangu hapa chini. Subiri kidogo utaona imebadilika.

Mshamba wee, popote uliko pokea sita kabisa na si tano bora.

HILI WAZO LA MABANGO NDIYO LENYEWE. Lisiishie kwa Muungwana tu ila hadi Mawaziri na PM na wabunge wote MAFISADI.

Ila kuna tatizo moja: CCM wataleta Vibaraka wao wa CCM (matawi ya CCM Moscow, London, sijui Washington nk) na kuwafanya pia wanabeba MABANGO ya kumshangilia huyo kiongozi. Hili nalo inabidi kulijadili ili MABANGO YA WALALAHOI YAONEKANE.

 

[Msanii]

bado tuna safari ndefu..

Mkuu
Shairi lako limenigusa sana.
Nilipoona majibu ya waziri sumari kupitia luninga. Nilikata tamaa kabisa.
Picha wanayotujengea viongozi wetu ni kwamba wapo ktk nafasi zile ili wafanye makosa na ole wake atakayethubutu kuwanyooshea vidole

Na hivi JWTZ ambalo lipo kisheria. je ni mamlaka ipi iliyotunga na kupitisha hiyo sheria??? kama mamlaka hiyo ipo nje ya bunge, basi tuikabe hiyo mamlaka itueleze kinagaubaga yanayosibu jeshi la wananchi wa tanzania ambalo limeporwa na serikali now. Kama ni Bunge ndilo lilipitisha sheria ya JWTZ basi haki ya kutohoji chombo iliyokiunda ipo kwa nani????????

Isije tukawa na rais pekee ambaye hasaidiwi na mawaziri wake for the first time in Tanzania. Naamini kejeli aliyoonesha Sumari si kejeli ya JK.

angekuwa ni waziri wangu, ningemvua uanachama wa ccm ili akajifunze uraiani why we need wise leaders na siyo directors

 

[Makaayamawe]

Hebu tujikumbushe juu ya hii siri ya Meremeta.

1. Hii siri wanayofichwa wabunge na waTZ lakini Makaburu na Waingereza wanashirikishwa ni siri gani?
2. Trennex ndio akina nani? Inakuwaje huko South Africa wanajulikana tu kama kampuni ya ukarani wa kuandikisha makampuni (company secretaries)?
3. Mchango wa Trennex kwenye Meremeta ulikuwa ni upi?
4. London Law Secretarial Services nao ni vipi? Mbona nao ni waandikishaji tu wa kampuni?
5. Hivi maswali kama haya yanahatarishaje usalama wa taifa?

MEREMETA: The inside story

July 1, 2008


THE involvement of the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) in the controversial Meremeta Limited formally ceased in 2005/06 after the joint venture company between the government and South African investors was officially dissolved, impeccable sources have revealed to THISDAY.

Insiders familiar with the whole saga say that, contrary to Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda’s claims in the National Assembly last week that the now-defunct company was a classified military project, the army was never involved in subsequent deals involving TANGOLD and Deep Green Finance.

According to these sources, Meremeta Ltd was initially registered in the Isle of Man, United Kingdom in April 1997, and received certificate of registration number 3424504.

Going by official government records, Meremeta was registered as a 50-50 joint venture project between the Tanzanian government and Triennex (PTY) Limited of South Africa.

However, other strong evidence indicates the presence in Meremeta’s affairs from the outset of at least two British legal firms, London Law Services Ltd and London Law Secretarial Ltd, both described as ’nominal shareholders.’

In October 1997, the company was given certificate of compliance number 32755 by the Business Registration Licensing Authority (BRELA), allowing it to formally operate in Tanzania.

Working in collaboration with the TPDF at the Buhemba open pit gold mine in Mara Region, Meremeta officially began gold mining operations in February 2003, with its operations being heavily financed by Tanzanian taxpayers through the Bank of Tanzania (BoT).

In 2005, the Meremeta company announced it had produced 2,075 kilogrammes of gold at a cash cost of $384 per troy ounce of gold.

Apart from the Buhemba gold mine, Meremeta also held the Kilamongo and Mwizi deposits, both located south of Buhemba, and the Nyasanero deposit.

But then in 2006 - only a year after officially beginning gold production the company declared bankruptcy, and was formally dissolved.

’’With the dissolution of Meremeta, both the TPDF and the South African company (Triennex) formally pulled out of gold mining activities at Buhemba,’’ said one of our well-informed sources, adding: ’’So officially, any military involvement in the Meremeta project ended in 2006 when the company was declared bankrupt.’’

Insiders further say the initial involvement of the TPDF in the Buhemba gold mining operations was aimed at raising funds to finance its cash-strapped vehicle manufacturing division - Tanzania Automotive Technology Centre, better known as the Nyumbu project.

It is understood that Meremeta was also set up to assist in developing the country’s informal gold mining sector.

Official government records show that as Meremeta Ltd was winding up its operations, the BoT paid more than $118m (approx. 150bn/-) to Nedcor Trade Services Limited after having guaranteed a loan from the South African firm to Meremeta.

The BoT raised the funds to pay off the loan to Meremeta through a controversial 155bn/- Treasury bond, in a transaction that raised serious queries from auditors.

Following the liquidation of Meremeta Ltd, the Ministry of Energy and Minerals announced in Parliament that a wholly-owned government company, TANGOLD Limited, had been formed and assumed all Meremeta company assets, including the Buhemba gold mine.

Investigations by THISDAY have already established that the BoT paid another $13.34m (approx. 17bn/-) to TANGOLD through an account at the National Bank of Commerce Limited’s Corporate Branch in Dar es Salaam.

TANGOLD was initially registered as an offshore company in Mauritius in April 2005, with its address listed as Suite 520, Barkly Whart, Le Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis.

In February 2006, the company was registered in Tanzania, with its local shareholders including former BoT governor Daudi Ballali (now deceased); the then Minister for Infrastructure Development, Andrew Chenge; and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Gray Mgonja.

Other TANGOLD shareholders are the current PS in the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Patrick Rutabanzibwa; and the then permanent secretary in the Ministry of Livestock Development, Vincent Mrisho.

Although the Ministry of Energy and Minerals claimed that TANGOLD was 100% owned by the government, it has failed to explain why the company was registered in Mauritius and not Tanzania, and why its articles of association give the listed shareholders permission to transfer all or part of their shares to their next of kin.

TANGOLD is also not listed at the Treasury Registry among companies partly or wholly-owned by the government, and has thus not been subjected to statutory auditing by the Controller and Auditor General (CAG).

When addressing the National Assembly in Dodoma last Friday, premier Pinda appeared evasive to the point of fumbling in his attempts to answer queries from opposition members of parliament regarding Meremeta, TANGOLD and Deep Green Finance Limited.

His reference to the controversial Meremeta question as a ’’military affair and therefore one of national security’’ in particular only served to raise more questions rather than provide any answers to the mystery.

Source: ThisDay

 

[Sikonge]

Nyie mlioko nje ya Tanzania, wakija huko fanyeni kazi moja tu - Someni maneno ya Shalom katika sahihi yangu. Hata Mugabe anaona aibu akishangiliwa nje ya Zim.

 

[Kapinga]

Msione watu wanamajumba na namavx..ni dili hizi hizi za wakati wa uchaguzi...subirini 2010 and 2011 mtasikia matajiri wapya!

 

[Josh Michael]

Jambo moja ni kwamba mwakani kila mmoja wenu amue kuweka na kuingia ulingoni katika siasa hivyo kuna haja ya kubadilisha mambo haya

 

[Mukuru]

Deleted

 

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

Mimi kwa kweli nina ushauri mmoja tu kwa Pinda kesho; Waambie wananchi ukweli kuhusu Meremeta au mimi nitajitolea kufanya hivyo. Nikimjibu Mafuchila mwaka 2007 kwenye hii forum nilisema hivi:

Mafuchila, shughuli za jeshi ni za Ulinzi hivyo chochote kilichofanywa na kampuni hiyo ni kusaidia shughuli za Ulinzi na hivyo ni za usalama wa TAifa. Hivyo kuulizia mchango wa Meremeta ni kuingilia siri za serikali.

Mwaka mmoja baadaye serikali ilikuja na jibu hilo. Lakini kuelewa undani wa hili inabidi watu warudie ile ripoti ya "Tracing Reports of Tanzania's involvment in Arms Trafficking". niliyotoa 2006. Kwa vile bado tunaangalia kwa vipande mno.

 

[kilandu]

Brother and Sisters

Something needs to happen really fast and at the speed of light. How do we educate and mobilize the rural area so that they are not mentality and physically corrupted by insignificant gifts that last for a night if not a minute. Since people from the rural areas are more likely to be pursueded to vote for the wrong candidate, it is our responsibility to educate them on what they should demand from candidates. What are the organization working with the civil society doing. This is the right moment for civil society organization to come together and work on educating people. They need to leave their comfortable sits and move to the rural areas starting now and mobilize the people.
I am so tired of being treated like a zombie, while we have the abilities to change and challenge the status quo.
We can not continue doing nothing. Lets get out their and work to save our beuatiful nation before its too late.

Asante sana.

 

[Kilasara]

Kama ufisadi na ulaji wa mali ya umma vimefikia kiasi cha wakuu wa Jeshi la Ulinzi na Usalama wa Taifa kujihusisha kiasi cha Serikali kutothubutu kuzungumzia suala hilo Bungeni, basi tujue muda si mrefu, marukruta na koplo wataasi.

 

[kinepi_nepi]

hakuna usalama wa taifa Majasiri na wazalendo, wakatoka hadharani na kumkoma nyani kwamba Meremeta hawaijui, huu ni wizi wa fedha zetu na mishahara yetu.Wakati ufike wataalamu na walinzi waseme imetosha, huku si kulinda wananchi.
Au serikali iseme basi ilifanikiwa vipi kwa kutumia mabilioni ya shilingi kwa kutumia usalama wa taifa Meremeta na je walikuwa wanafuatilia nini buhemba na je mbona fedha tu ndizo zilizopotea na tija ni zero.

 

[Tatu]

From ThisDay today, here's my investigation on some of the addresses that has been given on today's paper.

Suite 520, Barkly Wharf, Le Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis.

in Mauritius,

This address point to a Trident Trust Fund Company below

Ma u r i t i u s
Trident Trust Company (Mauritius) Ltd
5th Floor, Barkly Wharf
Le Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis, Mauritius
Tel +230-210-9770 • Fax +230-210-1266
mauritius@tridenttrust.com

As stated on THISDAY PAPER, may be this FISADIS were transfering funds to their own accounts.

 

[Kilasara]

FYI the Preventive Detention Act is still on our Statute Book. This is for the attention of our president J.K.

The revelations by Bubu Ataka Kusema and Makaa ya Mawe and finally reported by THIS DAY, show how vile, debased and despicable, Daudi Ballali, Andrew Chenge, Gray Mgonja, Rutabanzibwa and Vincent Mrisho, the Directors of Tangold were.

They also show that the so-called leaders of the Government, namely the Ministers etc. are naive, simple nit-wits, who cannot detect even simple tricks played on them by their official advisers. We must devise a better system of getting intelligent ministers.

It was the height of folley for the Government to agree that a company owned partly by itself, and operating in this country, should be registered in Port Louis, Mauritius. I am also baffled beyond imagination, that the Government agreed to Articles of Association of its company, to provide that the Directors could transfer the whole or part of their shareholding to their personal family members! Wow!

These shares were only nominally held by these officials in their capacity as Government employees! Once they ceased to be Goverment employees, they ought to have automatically surrendered the shares to their successors on the Board. This was the usual provision during the Nyerere Era, when many companies were owned by the state.

I cannot imagine that the Government deliberately allowed these shares to be bequeathed by its appointed Directors to their sibblings, if those directors died whilst in office. If the Government was unaware that such provision existed in the Articles of Association of the company, it means that some tricks were being played on their ignorance, pre-occupation with other things and/or naivity.

For this reason, since it is such a shame for a Govt to be so easily conned, the Preventive Detention Act should be invoked. These fellows should be incarcerated in prison at the pleasure of the President.

That is what Mwalimu Julius Nyerere would have done. I am sure he did not advocate the repeal of that law, on the acceptance of multiparty democracy, as advised by Nyalali, because he envisioned dirty tricks like this.

I also hope that Ballali who is no more, did not succeed to pass on his shares to his family as the Articles of Association provided.

 

[Jasusi]

Kilasara,
Your assumptions will only make sense if the government you are talking about is clean. It is not.

 

[MzeePunch]

Hakuna siri yoyote kwenye Meremeta. Nimesoma gazeti la THISDAY toleo la leo Juni 25 na kupata details za kutosha kuthibitisha kwamba MEREMETA, TANGOLD na DEEP GREEN ni mfululizo wa wizi mkubwa unaofanywa na watu tuliowapa dhamana ya kutuongoza. Sasa nasema hivi: Ni lazima serikali ichukue hatua sasa kwa kuwatia mbaroni na kuwafikisha mahakamani wahusika wote wa wizi huu wa kutisha! Kama ndani ya wiki mbili zijazo hakutakuwa na hatua zozote zilizochukuliwa, nitatoa mwongozo humu kwenye JF nini kifanyike.