Kumbe JK alikuwa anajua nini anakiongea. na Maaskofu kumbe walikuja juu baada ya kuona source yao kubwa sana ya hela inapotea, bila ya kujali ya kuwa wanaliangamiza Taifa..
By Rodgers Luhwago
19th June 2011
They are well dressed, casting the demons, denouncing the devil and claiming to heal the sick in Jesus name. Their numbers have been growing rapidly as schools are changed into churches, discotheque halls become worship houses in a bid to spread the gospel according to Jesus Christ, the author and the finisher of the Christian faith.
To their congregation, they are more than worshipped thanks to their preaching techniques that have inspired many to abandon their traditional churches to join the new revival movement.
Their gospel is a gospel of prosperity and divine healing. In most of these churches, poverty is a curse, and getting sick is the work of the devil. Economic prosperity, no matter how one acquired that wealth, is commanded blessing, and millions have joined them in Tanzania.
Some of these preachers drive highly expensive cars, own mansions and their bank accounts grow fat everyday, sending a message that gone are the days when men of God used to live a humbled life, the very same way Jesus Christ did about 2000 years ago.
From Lagos, Nigeria, a country believed to be the mother of newly and rapidly spreading gospel of material prosperity, to Dar es Salaam, the church has been growing rapidly.
But behind the scenes, some men of God have been using this opportunity to traffic drugs into the country for years, before some of them were busted a few days ago.
Currently, according to a report which was also confirmed by the Police, three bishops are in custody after they were found with drugs worth millions of shillings.
But since the investigation is still going on, The Guardian on Sunday cant name the three bishops arrested by the Anti-Drug Force Unit recently in Dar es Salaam.
According to details gathered by The Guardian on Sunday, some religious leaders (not all of them) have made quick fortunes that dont match with earnings through offerings, tithes and donations, a situation that raised an alarm within the law enforcers.
After selling drugs to various suppliers outside and inside the country, the billions are paid through bank accounts as religious donations or charity funding from abroad.
But when the source of funds is traced by the law enforcers, the alleged charities or religious donors are nowhere to be found or those found deny funding or wiring millions of dollars to Tanzania.
A few years ago, the Bank of Tanzania froze about $10 million, which was money wired from Cyprus to a religious organization in Tanzania, but when the recipient was requested to provide supporting documents, he disappeared.
How they trade
The journey starts with a bishop or evangelist writing to a foreign countrys denomination, requesting to conduct an evangelical crusade or seminar. After being given a nod to organize the crusade or seminar, the evangelist or bishop, uses his invitation letter for Visa application, according to disclosures by those arrested to the Police.
After obtaining a visa, he or she then travels to a host country, conducts a crusade or seminar, but at the end, the evangelist returns to Tanzania with drugs using diplomatic bags.
According to the Police, in some cases, the evangelist would claim that during his or her trip abroad he was given a donation of religious books and other related items, and finally acquires a container for ferrying in ones donation.
But, inside the container, the very same evangelists are alleged to hide cocaine and heroine worth millions of shillings. Its understood that religious items are not taxable.
For instance one of those arrested is allegedly to have used the statues of the Virgin Mary to smuggle cocaine into the country early this year.
Imagine someone who claims to be a Man of God using the statue of virgin Mary to smuggle cocaine where are we heading as a nation? a source close to the investigators currently interrogating the arrested Gods servants told The Guardian on Sunday.
The source who spoke under conditions of strict anonymity citing the sensitivity of the matter added, Some of them have wealth which they cant justify but if you look at the conditions of their churches, they are still using discotheques or hired halls to preach while they have billions.
Taking the advantage of the respect they command within the circle of society as well as government, previously nobody could suspect some men of God to be involved in drug trafficking.
Reached for comment, Head of the Anti-Drugs Unit, Godfrey Nzowa, said as far as his memory was concerned, were two religious leaders being arrested by his squad for drug trafficking.
I am not in the office but my memory tells me that two spiritual leaders have been arrested in connection with drug trafficking, including a Nigerian religious leader who recently admitted to be conducting services at Biafra area in Kinondoni, he said.
According to Nzowa, the spiritual leaders normally ask the source countries for permission to attend seminars or certain training on their own expenses. He said such a strategy enables them to get invitation letters from the source countries, which they then use to apply for visas from the respective countries embassies in Dar es Salaam.
Giving an example, Nzowa said one of the arrested spiritual leaders used the same strategy to travel to a source country with a delegation of ten people and upon coming back they were arrested with 81 kilogrammes of cocaine. The religious leader, according to Nzowa, paid Sh 1 million for each of the ten visas.
So far none of those arrested have been charged before the court of law. Police say they are still investigating more suspects believed to be using similar methods to traffic into the country.
The arrest comes just a few days after top Christian religious leaders gave a 48-hour ultimatum to President Kikwete to name those he accused of drug trafficking or else they would name all corrupt leaders within his government.
According to well placed sources within the Tanzania Police, the Anti-Drug Force Unit is currently investigating more religious leaders suspected to be dealing with drug trafficking business in Dar es Salaam and elsewhere around the country.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
By Rodgers Luhwago
19th June 2011
They are well dressed, casting the demons, denouncing the devil and claiming to heal the sick in Jesus name. Their numbers have been growing rapidly as schools are changed into churches, discotheque halls become worship houses in a bid to spread the gospel according to Jesus Christ, the author and the finisher of the Christian faith.
To their congregation, they are more than worshipped thanks to their preaching techniques that have inspired many to abandon their traditional churches to join the new revival movement.
Their gospel is a gospel of prosperity and divine healing. In most of these churches, poverty is a curse, and getting sick is the work of the devil. Economic prosperity, no matter how one acquired that wealth, is commanded blessing, and millions have joined them in Tanzania.
Some of these preachers drive highly expensive cars, own mansions and their bank accounts grow fat everyday, sending a message that gone are the days when men of God used to live a humbled life, the very same way Jesus Christ did about 2000 years ago.
From Lagos, Nigeria, a country believed to be the mother of newly and rapidly spreading gospel of material prosperity, to Dar es Salaam, the church has been growing rapidly.
But behind the scenes, some men of God have been using this opportunity to traffic drugs into the country for years, before some of them were busted a few days ago.
Currently, according to a report which was also confirmed by the Police, three bishops are in custody after they were found with drugs worth millions of shillings.
But since the investigation is still going on, The Guardian on Sunday cant name the three bishops arrested by the Anti-Drug Force Unit recently in Dar es Salaam.
According to details gathered by The Guardian on Sunday, some religious leaders (not all of them) have made quick fortunes that dont match with earnings through offerings, tithes and donations, a situation that raised an alarm within the law enforcers.
After selling drugs to various suppliers outside and inside the country, the billions are paid through bank accounts as religious donations or charity funding from abroad.
But when the source of funds is traced by the law enforcers, the alleged charities or religious donors are nowhere to be found or those found deny funding or wiring millions of dollars to Tanzania.
A few years ago, the Bank of Tanzania froze about $10 million, which was money wired from Cyprus to a religious organization in Tanzania, but when the recipient was requested to provide supporting documents, he disappeared.
How they trade
The journey starts with a bishop or evangelist writing to a foreign countrys denomination, requesting to conduct an evangelical crusade or seminar. After being given a nod to organize the crusade or seminar, the evangelist or bishop, uses his invitation letter for Visa application, according to disclosures by those arrested to the Police.
After obtaining a visa, he or she then travels to a host country, conducts a crusade or seminar, but at the end, the evangelist returns to Tanzania with drugs using diplomatic bags.
According to the Police, in some cases, the evangelist would claim that during his or her trip abroad he was given a donation of religious books and other related items, and finally acquires a container for ferrying in ones donation.
But, inside the container, the very same evangelists are alleged to hide cocaine and heroine worth millions of shillings. Its understood that religious items are not taxable.
For instance one of those arrested is allegedly to have used the statues of the Virgin Mary to smuggle cocaine into the country early this year.
Imagine someone who claims to be a Man of God using the statue of virgin Mary to smuggle cocaine where are we heading as a nation? a source close to the investigators currently interrogating the arrested Gods servants told The Guardian on Sunday.
The source who spoke under conditions of strict anonymity citing the sensitivity of the matter added, Some of them have wealth which they cant justify but if you look at the conditions of their churches, they are still using discotheques or hired halls to preach while they have billions.
Taking the advantage of the respect they command within the circle of society as well as government, previously nobody could suspect some men of God to be involved in drug trafficking.
Reached for comment, Head of the Anti-Drugs Unit, Godfrey Nzowa, said as far as his memory was concerned, were two religious leaders being arrested by his squad for drug trafficking.
I am not in the office but my memory tells me that two spiritual leaders have been arrested in connection with drug trafficking, including a Nigerian religious leader who recently admitted to be conducting services at Biafra area in Kinondoni, he said.
According to Nzowa, the spiritual leaders normally ask the source countries for permission to attend seminars or certain training on their own expenses. He said such a strategy enables them to get invitation letters from the source countries, which they then use to apply for visas from the respective countries embassies in Dar es Salaam.
Giving an example, Nzowa said one of the arrested spiritual leaders used the same strategy to travel to a source country with a delegation of ten people and upon coming back they were arrested with 81 kilogrammes of cocaine. The religious leader, according to Nzowa, paid Sh 1 million for each of the ten visas.
So far none of those arrested have been charged before the court of law. Police say they are still investigating more suspects believed to be using similar methods to traffic into the country.
The arrest comes just a few days after top Christian religious leaders gave a 48-hour ultimatum to President Kikwete to name those he accused of drug trafficking or else they would name all corrupt leaders within his government.
According to well placed sources within the Tanzania Police, the Anti-Drug Force Unit is currently investigating more religious leaders suspected to be dealing with drug trafficking business in Dar es Salaam and elsewhere around the country.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
