Abuse of office case facing senior port officials postponed again

Ephraim Mgawe, Former Director General, Tanzania Ports Authorities (TPA)

Hearing of the case facing former Director General, Tanzania Ports Authorities (TPA) Ephraim Mgawe and his deputy, Hamadi Koshuma has been set for September 11, this year.

 

The prosecution led by Principal State Attorney, Oswald Tibabyekomya, informed the Kisutu Principal Resident Magistrate, Isaya Arufani, that investigations into the case are still not complete and requested more time. 

 

“The case has come up for mention but the investigations are still incomplete, so we ask the court to set another date for the hearing,” Tibabyekomya bid.

In response, Magistrate Arufani adjourned the case to September 11, this year when prosecution witnesses are to start testifying.

 

Both the accused are charged with abuse of office and according to the charge sheet, it was alleged that the two committed the offence on December 5, 2011.

 

It was alleged that on that particularly day, the accused illegaly signed a commercial contract between TPA and China Communications Construction Company Ltd for construction of berth numbers 13 and 14 of the Dar es Salaam Port. 

This is so because they did not invite tenders, violating the provision of section 31 of the Public Procurement Act number 21 of 2004.

 

Meanwhile, the court also adjourned hearing of a case facing former CCM official Rajabu Maranda and four others until August 25 this year because the panel of magistrates was not complete.

 

They are charged with forgery and theft of over 200m/- from the Bank of Tanzania’s External Payment Arrears (EPA) account.

 

The case was postponed by Principal Resident Magistrate Ignas Kitusi because the chairman of the panel, John Utamwa was away on another official duty. 

The prosecution, led by Tibabyekomya, claimed that the case came up for the accused Maranda to start giving his testimony after he went missing presumably because he was sick in hospital.

 

Apart from Maranda, a CCM cadre, others accused are Imani Mwakosya, former Head of the Bilateral and Commercial Department of the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), BoT Deputy Director of Debt Department, Ester Komu and a BoT secretary, Bosco Kimela and businessman Farijala Hussein.

 

It is alleged that the accused committed the offence between September 8, 2003 and August 18, 2008. 

 

They are accused of stealing Sh207, 284,391/44 from the EPA account after presenting forged documents to show that Rashaz Company was assigned to collect the debt on behalf of an Indian company called General Marketing.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN