PM: Govt to act on Mkapa allegations
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| Manual workers are pictured busy extracting sand from the Mbezi river bank along New Bagamoyo Road in Dar es Salaam, in the process contributing to further destruction of the surrounding environment. |
THISDAY REPORTER
Dodoma
THE Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda, has announced the government’s intention to take action on allegations of corruption and abuse of office against ex-president Benjamin Mkapa and former cabinet minister Daniel Yona.
Although he came short of making an outright endorsement of calls from both ruling CCM and opposition members of parliament for an investigation of Mkapa, the premier conceded in the National Assembly yesterday that the allegations were serious.
’’Serious allegations have been made against a former leader of our country. The government is following up on these allegations to know exactly what happened,’’ Pinda said.
He did not say if there would be a full-blown corruption investigation against the former president and his associates, but reiterated that the government would act on the accusations.
He pledged to make public the government’s findings on the allegations.
Pinda made the remarks during the Prime Minister’s Questions Time session in parliament, in response to queries from the Leader of the Official Opposition in the National Assembly, Hamad Rashid Mohamed (Wawi-CUF).
As it stands, the premier’s statement represents a sharp departure from previous claims made by the director general of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), Dr Edward Hosea, that the government’s anti-corruption watchdog was powerless to investigate the former president.
Hosea’s claims, made sometime last year when allegations of corruption and abuse of office against Mkapa first surfaced, were heavily criticized by various legal experts who noted that the national Constitution gives immunity to Mkapa only for actions taken while executing presidential duties.
It was pointed out at the time that appropriate legal action could still be taken against the former president if established that he broke the law in conducting private business dealings while occupying the highest public office in the land.
In yesterday’s parliamentary session, Hamad Rashid had asked Pinda to explain what action the government was taking on the widespread graft allegations against the ex-president and his former energy and minerals minister.
The opposition leader in parliament maintained that both Mkapa and Yona openly violated the Public Leadership Code of Ethics Act of 1995 and the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Act 2007, by using public office for private financial benefit.
In a follow-up question to the premier, Hamad Rashid demanded to know why the government was finding it difficult to take legal action against the duo while all the evidence of their alleged wrongdoing was available.
The legislator pointed out that documented records of the alleged abuse of office by the former president and his minister were available in government ministries and departments, including the Business Registration and Licensing Authority (BRELA).
Reiterating that the government would not hesitate to prosecute any individual found to have broken the law, Pinda called for patience while authorities look into the allegations against Mkapa and Yona.
Lawmakers are pushing for a thorough investigation of the former president over allegations relating to corruption and abuse of office during his ten-year term in office from 1995-2005.
The ex-president and former first lady Anna Mkapa in 1999 jointly registered a private business company, ANBEM Limited, and operated the firm as sole proprietors and ’entrepreneurs’ from within the official State House walls.
In 2002, ANBEM Limited obtained loans of up to 750m/- from the National Bank of Commerce Limited and CRDB Bank Limited.
And in 2004, Mkapa teamed up with Yona and some members of their immediate families to form another private company, Tanpower Resources Limited.
Using their powerful public offices, the then president and senior cabinet minister went on to ’fast-track’ the sale of the state-owned Kiwira Coal Mine in 2005 to their own private company (Tanpower Resources) for a song (just 700m/-).
The renamed Kiwira Coal and Power Company under the majority ownership of Tanpower Resources eventually entered into a dubious, $271.8m (approx. 326bn/-) power generation contract with the state-run Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO).
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