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Tanzania: Ex-Minister is Cleared After State House Letter
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The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
9 July 2008
Posted to the web 9 July 2008
Rodgers Luhwago
Dodoma
Former Energy and Minerals minister Nazir Karamagi was yesterday cleared in Parliament over his defence that the cabinet authorized the extension of the Tanzania International Container Terminal (Ticts) in which he is a major shareholder.
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Samwel Sitta said yesterday that the former minister and MP for Bukoba Rural had presented documents to validate his claim, made in the previous session of Parliament.
By that documentation, Mr Karamagi escaped censure and possible expulsion from Parliament for accusations of lying to the legislature. Mr Sitta yesterday said the former minister tabled evidence proving that indeed the cabinet approved the extension of Ticts contract as he had said in the House.
Mr Karamagi was compelled to give his defence after MPs queried the extension of the Ticts contract the ministry made in 2005 for another 15 years, to bring its concession period to 25 years. Some MPs queried the extension which they branded illegal and called for its disbanding by the government, arguing it had been inappropriately approved by the then Minister for Finance, Mr Basil Mramba.
The Speaker had to demand Mr Karamagi to provide evidence after former Minister Ms Anna Abdallah questioned Mr Karamagi's claim in the House, saying she was in the cabinet but had not come across the purported decision to extend the Ticts contract. Mr Sitta gave the explanation yesterday shortly before the Energy and Minerals minister William Ngeleleja presented the ministry's budget for this financial year.
Giving his verdict, Mr Sitta said having given the task to Mr Karamagi to prove his utterances, the evidence adduced showed that he was right. He said Mr Karamagi had earlier tabled evidence that was however not satisfactory, and was compelled to table proper evidence.
After the Speaker issued the directive, the State House wrote him a letter acknowledging that the extension of TICTS for another 15 years followed all the required procedures. "Due to the evidence adduced to my office with regard to Mr Karamagi's statement made in this House in the 11th parliamentary meeting, I hereby announce my verdict that what he said was right," said the Speaker. The ruling was a victory for the embattled Karamagi who has since been removed as chairman of the board of directors for Ticts.
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The government is also in talks with Ticts in a bid to review the contract following concerns that the company was poorly performing at the Dar es Salaam port.
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