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Tanzania: Lowassa Implicated in Richmond Scam
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The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
7 February 2008
Posted to the web 7 February 2008
Tom Mosoba
Dodoma
The Parliamentary select committee that investigated the Richmond scandal yesterday called for the resignation of all top government officials implicated in the controversial contract.
Prime Minister Edward Lowassa, who was adversely mentioned in the report, was asked by the team to weigh out his position as leader of government business and take necessary steps on his volition.
But the committee also asked parliament to demand accountability from the PM, noting that they were legally empowered to approve his appointment and the role he played in the House.
The committee also said that ministers Nazir Karamagi and Dr Ibrahim Msabaha should resign or appropriate measures be taken against them for failing to represent the state as expected and for deliberately championing for Richmond and Dowans.
But members said the government should on its own take stern disciplinary measures, including dismissing its officials who caused the country to incur huge losses by entering into the contract.
Kyela MP Harrison Mwakyembe, who chaired the probe team, said his team had proved that the Richmond contract and its inheritor - Dowans - overlooked the critical law provisions, reeked of corruption and showed undue influence peddling by senior government officials.
The team of four MPs - Stella Manyanya, Hebert Mtangi, Lucas Selelii and Mohamed Mnyaa - interviewed 75 people, asked 2717 questions and collected 104 documents during the course of its investigations.
Its report yesterday brings to an end the long-running search for the truth in the controversial tender that has been running since early 2006.
It, however, opens another chapter as MPs and the public were yesterday baying for the blood of those mentioned.
However, some of the people implicated rushed to defend themselves as soon as parliament had heard contents of the report whose findings carried damning evidence on their role in the contract.
The team said due to the contract, the state power utility, Tanesco, would be paying over Sh152 million in capacity charges to Dowans whose power is not needed. It added that the huge cost was to blame for the shooting up of power tariffs.
The team recommended that the government immediately review the contract it entered into with Richmond and its inheritor on account of lies that were involved and the legality of Richmond conducting such business in the country.
The committee said the State should discipline AG Johnson Mwanyika and state attorney Donald Chidowu, who was in the government negotiating team, for failing to properly advise the state and for ignoring obvious legal flaws.
It also called for disciplining of all those who sat in the government negotiating team, including Treasury permanent secretary Gray Mgonja, his energy counterpart, Arthur Mwakapugi and several senior officials in the parent ministries.
Yesterday Mr Karamagi said the committee had not been fair to him as he was not given the opportunity to answer back to the accusations now being leveled against him.
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He told reporters outside parliament that some of the things said had some truth but some do not have any substance.
i think there is something here that the citizens of tanzania don't know about.though im happy that the culprits are caught but i still think that every human being ought to be given an opportunity to correct their mistake however big or horrible that mistake might be.not all the politicians we see have done everything good and so its better not to judge someone quickly before hunting for the real truth. though they brought the country into a major but still they can correct their mistakes before 2010 and no one who has something purposely can ask for forgiveness... [Read Full Text]
I think it is true that nobody is perfect and that is what I believe that we human being have been created.And I think that it is not adviced to pass the judgement quickly without making an investigation,But when it comes to the issue which touch the public interest in negative way then there is no problem on the politicians to pass the judgement as long as it will retain public interest.And the issue of giving a person chance to correct the mistake she/he has made concerning public interest is absurd!
I think it is true that nobody is perfect and that is what I believe that we human being have been created.And I think that it is not adviced to pass the judgement quickly without making an investigation,But when it comes to the issue which touch the public interest in negative way then there is no problem on the politicians to pass the judgement as long as it will retain public interest.And the issue of giving a person chance to correct the mistake she/he has made concerning public interest is absurd!
THERE WAS NO THE COUNTRY COULD GO ON WITH SUCH SELFISH PEOPLE LIKE CEO OF RICHMOND THE SAME SHOULD BE DONE TO IPTL CEO
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