AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) in Dodoma Region has recovered from Geneva Credit Shop, a company dealing in financial lending, over 176m/- loans provided to 17 retirees, most of them are teachers.
A statement issued by Dodoma Regional PCCB Chief Sosthenes Kibwengo on Friday shows that such money was recovered after investigations were launched in January 2021 as several complainants claimed to have been issued with loans by the company under dubious terms and conditions.
“PCCB has succeeded in getting the owner of the company, Mr Abubakary Idd Kinyuma, popularly known as Abubakary Mapesa, who has so far returned 176,565,000/- and one house,” he explained.
Mr Kibwengo noted further that on February 18, 2021, PCCB handed back the money and houses to 17 retirees.
According to PCCB, the retirees were issued with the loans and their houses were put under Mr Mapesa against legal procedures.
He revealed that when some civil servants in Kondoa District were about to retire, expecting to get their benefits, they took small loans from Mr Mapesa, who had been taking their bank cards and keeping them, and after they were paid their benefits the lender would take a large amount of money at high interest rates.
“For example, one retired teacher was loaned 350,000/-, but in addition to repaying 4,600,000/- his house worth 37m/- on plot No 115 Block C in Ndachi East in Dodoma was confiscated,” the PCCB boss said.
According to him, on February 18, 2021 they recovered the house and 1,830,000/- since he had previously received 2m/-.
On the same day, one retiree recovered 27,488,000/-, another one 23,800,000/-, while other two recovered 23,400,000/- and 16,800,000/- each.
“In addition, in collaboration with Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), we continue calculating the amount of tax that the loan service provider company owes. We are monitoring 184,586,000/- of 22 lenders which should also be repaid by Mr Mapesa,” reads part of the statement.
Mr Kibwengo went on explaining that PCCB also recovered 5m/- for Mr Dismas Kweka, a resident and businessman of Nkhuhungu in Dodoma City from Mr Richard Mwambeje.
He stated that Mr Kweka had bought plot No 18 Block B at Mbwanga in Dodoma City against legal procedures.
“The plot was donated by one citizen as an offer to Tanzania Christian Revival Community (Uwata), but Mr Mwambeje, who was Uwata secretary, sold it using a forged contract,” said the PCCB chief.
Furthermore, he said PCCB in the region succeeded in repaying a debt of 51,678,733/- to Ufundi Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (SACCOS) after pinning down members who were notorious debtors.
“We urge loan providers in Dodoma to adhere to laws, regulations and procedures of the country and to stop charging borrowers inflated interest rates. In addition, we remind the residents to beware of such loans and never agree to hand over their bank cards to anybody,” he said.
