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PCCB Director General Edward Hoseah and the Chinese ambassador to Tanzania, Dr Lu Youqing, exchange documents in Dar es Salaam yesterday after China donated to the anti-corruption agency technical equipment worth Sh3 billion. PHOTO | SALIM SHAO
By Songa wa Songa The Citizen Reporter
Posted Wednesday, June 17 2015 at 09:57
In Summary
PCCB Director General Edward Hoseah made the appeal on Dar es Salaam when receiving technical equipment worth Sh3 billion from the Chinese ambassador to Tanzania, Dr Lü Youqing. He said the support of those countries, including the US and the UK, is crucial in the PCCB's efforts to gather watertight evidence against holders of accounts that received part of the Sh306 billion that was deposited in the Tegeta escrow account at the Bank of Tanzania (BoT).
Dar es Salaam. The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) yesterday appealed to foreign countries where escrow loot is stashed to help it net the culprits.
PCCB Director General Edward Hoseahh made the appeal on Dar es Salaam when receiving technical equipment worth Sh3 billion from the Chinese ambassador to Tanzania, Dr Lü Youqing. He said the support of those countries, including the US and the UK, is crucial in the PCCB's efforts to gather watertight evidence against holders of accounts that received part of the Sh306 billion that was deposited in the Tegeta escrow account at the Bank of Tanzania (BoT).
From the BoT, the monies were deposited with two local banks namely Stanbic Bank and Mkombozi Commercial Bank, from which it was given to various beneficiaries including public officials under suspect circumstances.
Last week, Finance minister Saada Mkuya told Parliament that the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) had forwarded its report on the role of the two banks to PCCB for further investigation as required by law.
The two banks were accused of violating anti-money laundering rules and transferring money from the Tegeta escrow account.
But yesterday, Dr Hoseah said the battle on the local ground was going on well but not on the foreign front which needs the cooperation of the anti-graft agencies in the recipient countries.
"We cannot do it on our own. I urge foreign countries where the monies were stashed to help us pin the culprits," Dr Hoseah said.
In December last year, The Citizen reported that PCCB had seized bank accounts and overseas property believed to have been bought with the missing escrow billions.
Sources privy to the investigations told this paper that a couple of bank accounts stashed with billions of shillings had been traced and frozen in the US.
Also, new property, mainly in real estate and reportedly bought in South Africa and Australia between November 2013 and October 2014, had been seized at the PCCB's orders pending the outcome of the investigation into the scandal as directed by Parliament.
The source confided to this paper that the controversial bank accounts and property had been traced to individuals believed to have benefitted from the escrow funds withdrawn fraudulently from the central bank and shared among senior government officials and influential businessmen.
In a bid to conceal the true owners, the property is said to have been registered suspiciously, some by foreign business associates of the prime suspects.
In his speech yesterday, Dr Hoseah said the equipment donated by the People's Republic of China was for the purposes of improving the performance of the anti-graft agency. They included 162 desktop computers; 13 laptop; 20 network printers; 90 scanners; 162 UPS; four servers; one SAN storage; 10 USB flash and one mobile phone.
"Fighting corruption requires making fast decisions and applying modern equipment that are able to match and outsmart corruption perpetrators," he said:
"The equipment donated by the government of the People's Republic of China is a clear testimony of close friendship between our two sister countries. We will utilize the equipment to enhance our capacity to overcome some of the challenges that we face."
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