East African Business Week (Kampala)
Daniel Said
12 May 2008
Dar es Salaam — A three man Committee formed by President Jakaya Kikwete to further investigate the External Payment Arrears account (EPA) of the Bank of Tanzania is requesting for more time to complete its assignment.
East African Business Week was told last week that the committee which started its work on January 8th, 2008 and was expected to submit its findings and recommendations by July 7th, 2008 has asked for three months extension period to "complete the investigations and give appropriate action in line with the laws of the land."
"The committee will not complete its investigations within six months as earlier instructed by the President, that's why it has asked for an extension for three months," a source from the committee said adding that by last week the Committee had written to the President asking for the extension.
The three-man committee comprises the Attorney General Johnson Mwanyika, Director General of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Mr. Edward Hosea and the Inspector General of Police Mr. Said Mwema.
Also supporting the Committee are officers from the office of the Director of Intelligence and the Controller and Audit General Mr Rudovick Utouh.
The source said one of the reasons for the extension is the nature of the investigations that may call for some members of the Committee to travel outside the country to trace property and money which is feared to have been stashed away in foreign banks.
Another reason is the fact that the Committee perceives that there might be some individuals outside the country who were directly or indirectly involved. "Such individuals are crucial to our investigations and they need to be interviewed," a source said.
However, some people had reservations on the need for the Committee to be given more time saying that the extension was unnecessary.
They argue for example, if the audit company, Ernst &Young took only 60 days to do the auditing, why would this Committee fail to meet the deadline. Again, two other Committees on mining and on Richmond were given three months and had completed their work in a specified period of time.
The organization structure of the Committee which has its offices in Masaki, in the outskirts of Dar Es Salaam City shows that it comprises of the three-man Committee, the Executive Committee and a Secretariat.
Reports have it that the whole team has about 30 people, including drivers, security guards and the middle cadre which is being paid a daily allowance of Tsh 75,000 and Tsh 100,000 respectively.
Although East African Business Week has not established the daily allowances for the top three members of the committee, obviously the total expenses of the committee would be on the high side after a nine-month period of its duration if the extension would be granted.
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