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Mwanyika Task Force under fire
2008-08-20 11:04:23
By Correspondent Felister Peter
Some politicians have criticised the Presidential Task Force on the External Payment Arrears (EPA) Account for going against the terms of reference it was given by President Jakaya Kikwete.
They faulted the team for compiling and submitting a high-level investigative report on the Bank of Tanzania (BoT)?s EPA, rather than taking action against those implicated.
They gave their views in Dar es Salaam yesterday during the Conference on the State of Politics in Tanzania held at the University of Dar es Salaam.
The conference was organised by the Research on Democracy Education in Tanzania (REDET).
Zitto Kabwe, Member of Parliament for Kigoma North, said that what they were expecting was for the team to announce legal steps taken against those implicated, not compile report.
He said the President formed such a powerful task-force that included Attorney General Johnson Mwanyika, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Said Mwema and Director of Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Edward Hosea to make it easy for them, as high-profile law-enforcers, to take legal action straight away on those implicated, not otherwise.
``I was surprised to hear that the Presidential Task Force has submitted the report to the President. It was made of powerful people so that they could institute legal action, not compile a report,`` said Kabwe.
Kabwe said that if the task-force had by any chance revealed fraud during its investigations, it would have taken legal measures against those implicated.
He said Tanzanians were anxious to hear that suspects were taken to court and not the compilation and submission of the report.
Speaking at the conference, Democratic Party (DP) chairman Christopher Mtikila expressed grave concern over delays to take the culprits to court.
``If the Presidential Task Force was able to announce the amount of money it collected, why is it failing to take the suspects to court?`` he asked.
He said Tanzanians were now tired of probe team findings and what they wanted to see was action being taken against those implicated in the scandal.
The President had tasked the team to recover the money and take legal action against all those implicated in the scandal.
Part of the 133bn/- swindled in 2005/06 at the Central Bank has been recovered, but the team had not taken any legal action so far.
On Monday, President Kikwete received the report from the chairman of the Tripartite Task Force, AG Johnson Mwanyika.
The President praised the probe team for undertaking a difficult but excellent task.
The President said that after studying the document, he would make an appropriate decision and issue a public announcement.
The team was formed by President Kikwete in January this year and was given a six month period to complete the task that included recovery of the money that had been paid illegally.
The President formed the team after going through the 2005/06 audit report of the Bank of Tanzania`s External Payment Arrears Account that was prepared by Ernest and Young on behalf of the Controller and Auditor General.
SOURCE: Guardian
2008-08-20 11:04:23
By Correspondent Felister Peter
Some politicians have criticised the Presidential Task Force on the External Payment Arrears (EPA) Account for going against the terms of reference it was given by President Jakaya Kikwete.
They faulted the team for compiling and submitting a high-level investigative report on the Bank of Tanzania (BoT)?s EPA, rather than taking action against those implicated.
They gave their views in Dar es Salaam yesterday during the Conference on the State of Politics in Tanzania held at the University of Dar es Salaam.
The conference was organised by the Research on Democracy Education in Tanzania (REDET).
Zitto Kabwe, Member of Parliament for Kigoma North, said that what they were expecting was for the team to announce legal steps taken against those implicated, not compile report.
He said the President formed such a powerful task-force that included Attorney General Johnson Mwanyika, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Said Mwema and Director of Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Edward Hosea to make it easy for them, as high-profile law-enforcers, to take legal action straight away on those implicated, not otherwise.
``I was surprised to hear that the Presidential Task Force has submitted the report to the President. It was made of powerful people so that they could institute legal action, not compile a report,`` said Kabwe.
Kabwe said that if the task-force had by any chance revealed fraud during its investigations, it would have taken legal measures against those implicated.
He said Tanzanians were anxious to hear that suspects were taken to court and not the compilation and submission of the report.
Speaking at the conference, Democratic Party (DP) chairman Christopher Mtikila expressed grave concern over delays to take the culprits to court.
``If the Presidential Task Force was able to announce the amount of money it collected, why is it failing to take the suspects to court?`` he asked.
He said Tanzanians were now tired of probe team findings and what they wanted to see was action being taken against those implicated in the scandal.
The President had tasked the team to recover the money and take legal action against all those implicated in the scandal.
Part of the 133bn/- swindled in 2005/06 at the Central Bank has been recovered, but the team had not taken any legal action so far.
On Monday, President Kikwete received the report from the chairman of the Tripartite Task Force, AG Johnson Mwanyika.
The President praised the probe team for undertaking a difficult but excellent task.
The President said that after studying the document, he would make an appropriate decision and issue a public announcement.
The team was formed by President Kikwete in January this year and was given a six month period to complete the task that included recovery of the money that had been paid illegally.
The President formed the team after going through the 2005/06 audit report of the Bank of Tanzania`s External Payment Arrears Account that was prepared by Ernest and Young on behalf of the Controller and Auditor General.
SOURCE: Guardian
