AfricaPress-Tanzania: BUSINESSMAN Badru Amrani appeared before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam on Thursday charged with five counts relating to dealing in minerals valued some 157m/-.
The charges include forgery, obtaining money by false pretence, unauthorised possession of minerals and money laundering. Before Senior Resident Magistrate Rashid Chaungu, the accused was not allowed to enter plea to the charges because the case falls under the Economic and Organised Crimes Control Act.
Under such circumstances, the magistrate informed the businessman that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain anything, including the question of bail.
The magistrate adjourned the matter to April 15 for mention and ordered the accused to remain in custody. Senior State Attorney Wankyo Simon, for the prosecution, informed the court that investigations into the trial have not been completed. Prosecuting, the trial attorney alleged that the businessman forged two documents between December 6, 2019 and December 16, 2020 in Dar es Salaam.
With intent to defraud, the accused person allegedly made false Chemical Laboratory Report and Purchase and Sale of Copper Concentrate between Barmati International Group of Companies Limited and BTC General Trading FZE Company Limited, a company registered in United Arab Emirates.
The prosecution alleged that Amrani purported to show that African Minerals and Geosciences Centre (AMGC) issued the report to Barmati International Group of Companies Limited, certifying that the Manganese ores has been tested and contained 47.78 per cent of the mineral concentrates.
As regard to the purchase and sale document, it is alleged that the accused person purported to show that Barmati International Group of Companies Limited, a company registered in the country contracted to supply 1,000 tonnes of copper metals to BTC Ltd for a price of 245 US dollars per tonne, while it was false.
The court heard that on diverse dates between last November 23 and December 21 in the city, being the owner of Barmati International Group of Companies Limited, the accused obtained 155,605 US dollars from Kerim Mankeyev, the Commercial Director of BTC General Trading.
It is alleged that the accused persons pretended that he would supply 1,000 tonnes of copper minerals, something which it was not true. The prosecution told the court that this March 23 at Bunju area within Kinondoni District, the businessman was found in possession of several types of minerals.
It is alleged that the accused person was found possessing the minerals while he is not mineral right holder or licensed dealer.
The prosecution also charged Amrani with an offence of money laundering. The court heard that on diverse dates between last November 23 and December 21 in Dar es Salaam, the businessman acquired 155,605 US dollars while he knew that at the time of receipt such sum was proceeds of a predicate offence of forgery.
