Chenge likely to resign

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MINISTER IN MORE TROUBLE OVER ASSETS DISCLOSURE
AS CORRUPTION INVESTIGATIONS GATHER MOMENTUM

THISDAY REPORTER
Dar es Salaam

SENIOR government officials have now confirmed that the Minister for Infrastructure Development, Andrew Chenge, will likely resign this week over corruption allegations linked to the 28 million pounds sterling (approx. 70bn/-) military radar scandal.

’’It is very likely that Chenge will step down soon, possibly this week in the face of the radar corruption allegations,’’ a well-placed government source told THISDAY.

He added: ’’The minister will be given the dignity of voluntarily resigning, rather than being sacked from the government.’’

The minister himself last week categorically refused to quit from President Jakaya Kikwete’s cabinet after being linked to the military radar corruption scandal.

Sources say Chenge was yesterday scheduled to meet with President Kikwete to discuss the corruption allegations against him.

’’The minister has been seeking an audience with the president ever since the radar corruption allegations against him surfaced. I believe he will have a chance to do that today (yesterday),’’ a senior government official told THISDAY.

Talk of the minister’s looming resignation comes as he may also find himself in even more trouble following reports that he had not officially declared to the Public Leaders’ Ethics Secretariat his offshore bank accounts that were recently found with more than $1m (over 1.2bn/-).

The Public Leadership Code of Ethics (Amendment) Act, 2001 makes it compulsory for ministers, members of parliament and other public leaders to regularly declare their assets and liabilities to the ethics commissioner.

However, several well-placed sources confirmed to THISDAY that Chenge had not disclosed his offshore bank accounts to the Public Leaders’ Ethics Secretariat as required by law.

The beleaguered minister was yesterday not available for comment on these latest allegations as he prefers not to make any media statements on the matter pending the outcome of ongoing corruption investigations against him.

’’I can assure you that I have seen the register at the Public Leaders’ Ethics Secretariat ... Chenge has made no mention whatsoever of the offshore bank accounts in his asset disclosure forms,’’ said a government source familiar with the issue.

Written questions sent by THISDAY to the Commissioner of the ethics secretariat, Judge Stephen Ihema, about a week ago regarding the minister’s assets declaration forms are yet to be answered.

The main functions of the ethics secretariat, which falls under the President’s Office, include receiving assets declarations from public leaders and receiving and investigating allegations and notifications of breach of the code of ethics from members of the public.

According to the law, Chenge was required to declare his assets to the ethics secretariat since 1995 when he became the country’s Attorney General until present day in his current capacity as cabinet minister.

Chenge served as AG throughout President Benjamin Mkapa’s government (1995 to 2005) and became cabinet minister in President Kikwete’s government since 2006.

The law identifies declarable assets as cash and bank deposits, treasury bills, dividends and profits from stocks and shares, farms, real estate, motor vehicles and other property.

Under the law, public leaders also have to declare property registered in the names of their spouses and unmarried children.

If the ethics commissioner suspects that a public leader has made a false declaration of his assets, he may require the official to confirm or amend the declaration.

However, critics of the legislation say the word ’may’ gives the ethics commissioner discretionary powers to decide whether or not to take any action against public officials who breach the law.

Another major weakness of the legislation is that there is no compulsory verification of the actual assets declared by public officials, experts say.

False declaration of assets is a breach of the ethics code. The punishment for this breach is a fine of not less than 1m/- but not exceeding 5m/- or by imprisonment to a maximum of one year.