Tanzania linked to Italian mafia dirty money scandal

[Kivumah]

Tanzania security agencies are investigating how millions of euros from an Italian political party were transferred into the country through a foreign commercial bank and invested in the country.

Police have learnt that around 10 million euros ($13 million) were transferred to Tanzania in dubious circumstances. Information made available last week from Italy indicates that the treasurer of the Northern League political party (which is allied to former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi), Francesco Belsito, is under investigation for fraud, embezzlement and money laundering.

Italy's Guardia di Finanza (the financial unit of the tax police in Rome) is presently investigating a questionable 4.5 million euro ($5.9 million) transfer to Tanzania, while 1.2 million euros ($1.5 million) were sent to Cyprus and 1 million euros ($1.3 million) were invested in Norway Crowns.

Investigation by The EastAfrican in Dar es Salaam showed that the money in question was sent to Tanzania through Federal Bank of the Middle East (FBME) in Cyprus and then to FBME Bank in Tanzania. Mr Belsito was apparently the one who deposited the money in the Tanzania bank.

Tanzania's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is investigating the case on suspicion of embezzlement, aggravated fraud committed against the state and money laundering.

The chief prosecutor of Milan, Edmondo Bruti Liberati, told The EastAfrican that three judicial offices, co-ordinated by Milan assistant public prosecutor Alfredo Robledo and public prosecutors Roberto Pellicano and Paolo Filippini, were investigating the case alongside the financial police.

The other investigators include prosecutors Henry John Woodcock and Vincenzo Piscitelli for Naples with the Carabinieri from the NOE ecological operational unit; Reggio Calabria prosecutor Giuseppe Lombardo with police officers from the DIA intelligence unit are investigating possible financial fraud on cheques going back and forth from Italy to FBME Bank in Tanzania.

Allegations

Mr Liberati said that the investigators are investigating the Northern League over a raft of charges of financial irregularities, fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering. The EastAfrican has been exclusively informed that some of the more explosive allegations have to do with links to a Tanzanian businessman who is in close contact with members of the De Stefano family, one of the most powerful clans in the ‘Ndrangheta, the organised crime syndicate based in Calabria, the toe of Italy.

Indeed, the investments made in Cyprus and in Tanzania are being examined for possible links to organised crime. According to Mr Liberati, all the transactions were done in the last week of December 2011.

Mr Liberati said the investigators started their investigation in April this year following allegations that Umberto Bossi, the charismatic leader of Italy's Northern League, used taxpayers' money to pay for improvements to his house and for travel, dinners and hotel accommodation for his children.

"The claims, based on evidence collected through wiretaps, came to light in a judicial warrant issued for the search of the party's headquarters in Milan," said Mr Liberati.

The money transferred to the FBME Bank in Tanzania was frozen and then sent back to Italy when the FIU and the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), which monitors foreign currency transactions, became suspicious of the large amount of money.

Investigators suspect the money was meant for buying diamonds, as one of the suspects was found to have diamonds from Tanzania at his home in Italy.

The investigators further said that the Italian mafia approached the Tanzania government proposing to invest $5.9 million in small scale mining for diamonds, but the government rejected the offer.

Source: The East African newspaper

 

[Baba V]

tutege maskio,si ajabu ndo hela zetu mafisi walipeleka nje sasa walitaka kuzrudsha wajenge ghorofa manzese,nchi hii imeoza mbaya

 

[lanaforge]

You are saying the money was brought here and then it was sent back,is that what you are saying? And why was it sent back? The Mafia do a lot of good. They are garbage collectors. They fight over contracts to collect garbage.

 

[TumainiEl]

Sito andika sana ila nataKA kusema nimekuwa nikisoma kwa umakini sana sakata la IPTL na nimejiridhisha sasa serikali yangu pendwa ndani yake wapo mafia amabao wana hujumu serikali wakisaidiana na wahalifu wakimataifa kuchota mabilion ya pesa kiulain na kuzitumia kuhongo viongozi wa serikali, kuwajengea mahekalu na kuwanunulia vito vya thamani kama asante.
Hii ni hatari sana kwa usalama wa taifa pamoja na viongozi amabo ni waadilifu maana hili kundi la wizi wa fedha za walipa kodi watafika mahali watahonga watu muhimu ktk usalama wa taifa jambo linalo weza leta maangamizi makubwa ktk taifa.
Nilazima serikali na vyombo vyote vya usalama viamke haraka sana kulikombowa taifa.
Nashauri:-
1.Mh Rais aitishe haraka sana kikao kizito cha wakuu wa usalama wa taifa hili akiwahusisha na wakuu wa usalama walio staafu ambao ni wasasafi mawaziri wasiwepo ktk kikao hiko.
2. Mh Rais apeleke hati ya daharula bungeni serikali kuongeza ukalai wa sheri aya utoroshaji fedha kugushi na kuhujumu serikali kwa aina yeyote pasipo kujali wazi au nani amabayo itasaidia kwa hatua ya tatu.
3.Rais akishirikiana na kamati ya usalama wawaite mmoja mmoja ikulu chini ya kamati ya ulinzi na usalama watu wote wamepata ta hata kama ni tshs 1000 kutoka kwenye scendo ya iptl
4. Rais awafukuze kazi, na wafunguliwe mashitaka watu wote walio hujumu serikali, pamoja nakufilisi mali zao zote ili iwe fundisho kwa watanzania wote

 

[msweta]

Tatizo lingine kubwa Kwenye nchi yeti ni mahakama.bado Nina mashaka sana Kama mahakama ziko huru kiivyo.

 

[a4afrika]

Tulishaipa kisogo miiko thabiti ya Taifa letu, sasa mianya i wazi kwa kila aina ya uchafu kujitokeza. Huwa tunaona tu kwenye film za wenzetu namna ya magenge makubwa makubwa yanavyoitawala serikali, yale si maigizo tu, yanahalisika hasa kwa mataifa ya aina yetu, yenye ku-copy and paste each and everything kutoka kwa nguruwe weupe!

Ukishakiuka miiko yako, wewe umekwisha kabisa kwa kila aina ya upuuzi, umekwisha!
Anaita sasa.

 

[Magurudumu]

I wish ningekuwa kwenye hilo kundi la mafia maana hali yangu kifedha ni mbaya sana na uwezekano wa kupata nafuu ya maisha kutokana na kuboresha utwala (yaani utawala bora) haupo.

 

[makundubhyali]

Watanzania ni sawa na mbwa asie na meno. Kwa kubweka ni hodari sana lakini hawana madhara. Huu ni upepo tu utapita.

 

[theROOM]

Watanzania ni sawa na mbwa asie na meno. Kwa kubweka ni hodari sana lakini hawana madhara. Huu ni upepo tu utapita.

Sijui umenifurahisha, sijui umeniudhi...?

 

[TumainiEl]

Hili swala ni hatari sana yani watu wanaiba nakuishitaki serikal walio ibia kweli hii ni laana hivi mzee Kikwete utaficha wapi uso wako siku utaondoka ikulu

 

[Tetty]

Hili swala ni hatari sana yani watu wanaiba nakuishitaki serikal walio ibia kweli hii ni laana hivi mzee Kikwete utaficha wapi uso wako siku utaondoka ikulu

Ametoka atarudi baada ya wiki mbili. Ameenda kumsalimia mjomba ughaibuni. labda akitudi!

 

[makundubhyali]

Sijui umenifurahisha, sijui umeniudhi...?

Mkuu ni wewe tu lakini huo ndo ukweli