The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
30 October 2008
editorial
President Jakaya Kikwete's ultimatum to the suspects in the Sh133 billion Bank of Tanzania External Payment Arrears (EPA) account rip-off to repay the stolen money or face the music expires today.
And, it will not be until next Monday that we will be able to tell if the threat to take them to court will have materialised should they fail to take advantage of the President's amnesty window.
The President appeared only keen to have them pay back the money, with the State not pressing charges over their involvement in the fraudulent payments from the central bank that stunned the nation.
Why the suspects were given more time to repay the funds is, perhaps, not so important at this point. But what many Tanzanians are anxiously waiting to see is what happens next?
This could turn out be one of the biggest tests ever for the fourth phase government of President Kikwete.
Some have wondered aloud why the suspects should in the first place have been given time to refund money they are accused of having embezzled.
Common sense would demand that they be apprehended and taken to court to answer serious charges of theft from the central bank.
Many will, therefore, ask why the double standards, considering what befell the retirees of the old East African Community at their demonstration in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday, and whose only crime, apparently, was to demand their retirement benefits.
Police took only a few hours to bundle them into trucks and cart them to court to face charges of unlawful assembly.
If the police are so efficient in dealing with matters such as the case of unruly retirees demanding their pound of flesh, why do they get cold feet when confronted with a scandal of the EPA magnitude involving billions of shillings?
Wananchi are anxiously waiting to see what will happen to the EPA scandal masterminds and their accomplices.
Hopefully, the Government will keep its word by taking to court those who will not have paid up by today.
It is a big test for the leadership, but there is absolutely no reason why it can't be done.
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