PRINCIPAL Investigator with the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Cosmas Batanyita has renewed his request to enter into a plea bargaining agreement with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to end his 400m/-money laundering and corrupt transactions trial.
Batanyita made an appeal at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam when the case came for mention to meet with the team under the DPP’s office, which is coordinating the process so that he could present his side of the coin on the matter.
“I don’t have close relatives who can closely follow up this matter. I have been getting different reports from others, which I find are not helping much to move the process forward. It will be better if I meet with this committee personally,” he told Senior Resident Magistrate Godfrey Isaya.
Senior State Attorney Wankyo Simon, for the prosecution, reminded the accused to avoid telling lies while in court, as he recalled that his wife had been following up the matter closely.
He was, however, quick to assure him that he would communicate with the team and meet the accused in the next session.
The magistrate adjourned the case to March 6, 2020 for mention, as investigations into the matter, according to the prosecution, have not been completed.
In the case, the prosecution alleges that on February 9, 2019 at Upanga area within Kinondoni District in the city, being an employee of the PCCB, Batanyika corruptly solicited 200m/-from Hussein Gulamal Hashan in order to destroy evidence implicating him with tax evasion allegations.
The allegations, according to the prosecution, were under investigations.
The prosecution alleged that such undertaking by the accused person was a matter in relation to the affairs of his principal, the PCCB.
On February 10, 2019 at Saba Saba area within Temeke District, being a PCCB employee, the Principal Investigator is alleged to have corruptly obtained an advantage of 20,000 US dollars from Faizal Jafferali Hasham as an inducement to destroy evidence implicating Hussein Gulamal Hashan with tax evasion.
The court was also told that on February 13, 2019 at the PCCB sub Headquarters located at Masaki area in Kinondoni District, Batanyika allegedly corruptly solicited an advantage of 50,000 US dollars from Thangavelu Nallavan Vall.
The amount, the prosecution alleged, was an inducement to destroy evidence implicating Vall with tax evasion allegations which were under investigations.
The prosecution alleged that such undertaking was a matter in relation to the affairs of the PCCB, the accused person’s principal.
Furthermore, the prosecution alleged that on February 14, 2019 along Haile Selassie Road near Marry Brown area within Kinondoni District, being PCCB employee, the accused solicited an advantage of 20,000 US dollars from Vall for similar claims of inducements.
Batanyika was also charged with three other counts of money laundering.
It is alleged that on February 10, 2019 at Saba Saba area in Temeke District, the accused corruptly acquired the 20,000 US dollars from Faizal Hasham.
The prosecution alleged further that on February 19, 2019 at Electron Bureau de Change located at Village Supper Market in Oysterbay area in Kinondoni District, for the purpose of concealing the illicit origin, Batanyika converted 7,000 US dollars into 16,100,000/-.
It is alleged that the amount was part of the money illegally obtained through corrupt transaction.
On the same day at Chamazi area in Temeke District, the accused person acquired a property at the areas, being un-surveyed plot at 15,800,000/-.
The money, the prosecution alleged, was part of the amount illegally obtained through corrupt means.
It is alleged that at the time of receipt and use of the said moneys the principal knew that they were proceeds of predicate offence of corrupt transaction.
