Former Bank of Tanzania (BoT) director personnel and administration Amatus Liyumba was a key coordinator in the twin tower project, the Kisutu resident magistrate court heard yesterday.

This was said by an engineer from the Design & Services Company Mr Manase Shayo when he was presenting to the court various letters signed by Liyumba approving changes of project's scope of work.

He was testifying in a case in which Mr Liyumba is accused of abuse of office and occasioning a Sh221 billion loss to the government by inflating the cost of 'Twin Tower' project.

The witness who was the project administrator through his company, told the court that in the letters sent to his company, Mr Liyumba was acting on behalf of the management of the BoT.

He testified when reacting to questions from the defence lawyer Mr Hillary Mkate who wanted to know if the letters had been written by Mr Liyumba personally.

According to the witness, his company had been communicating with the office of director of personnel and administration and that Mr Liyumba was a spokesperson who represented the management.

In one of the letters read by the witness before a panel of magistrates who hears the case; Mr Edson Mkasimongwa, Lameck Mlacha and Benedict Mwinga, Mr Liyumba informed the company that the management had approved variation of the scope of work.

He said extra work was carried out including increasing the number of floors for both north and south towers and construction of helicopter pads on top of both towers.

Others are changes to the finishing materials for external and internal solid block walls, introduction of conference facility and others.

The witness told the court that the changes were not covered in bills of quantities and the contract between the BoT and Group Five, who were the main constructor.