Author: FAUSTINE KAPAMA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: ONLY 37 days after President John Magufuli expressed his doubt on the hike in cost of Mbezi Bus Terminal project, the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) has saved over 12bn / -, payment that was meant to be made to contractors for work not undertaken.
PCCB Director General, Brigadier General John Mbungo revealed the matter at a press conference in the city on Saturday, saying the Bureau prevented the payments from being made in partnership with the Dar es Salaam City Director, Ms Sipora Liana.
He disclosed that PCCB has been closely following up the implementation of the project, in particular, in response to the directives given recently by President Magufuli when he laid the foundation stone for the project together with his Malawian counterpart, President Lazarus Chakwera.
“PCCB and construction experts have been closely monitoring this project. We commend the Director of the City of Dar es Salaam for this process,” Brigadier General Mbungo said.
He appealed to other directors to continue involving PCCB in monitoring the implementation of development projects to ensure that taxpayer’ money is spent according to the intended objectives.
When laying the foundation stone for the project early last month, President Magufuli told the public that he initially endorsed a total of 51bn/- for the project, but officials told him later that some improvements in architectural design pushed up the cost to 71bn/-.
However, the Head of State raised doubt on the increase in cost, warning them that he will closely monitor development of the facility which is set to open its doors to the public by the end of this month.
Meanwhile, the PCCB director general announced that they are holding four officials with the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) for questioning on claims of theft and embezzlements of 541,284,800/.
He said that investigations into the claims are ongoing, saying legal action will be taken against those found to have been involved in the crime.
Brigadier General Mbungo insisted that PCCB is committed to implementing, among other things, President Magufuli’s directives issued in various areas during his presidential campaign on a variety of issues in the country.
In Manyara region, according to him, President Magufuli spoke of grievances involving farmers in Hanang District, who in 2016 paid money to one company that engages in selling tractors, expecting to receive the equipment, a promise that was not fulfilled.
“This promise was not fulfilled for the entire period until this year when the PCCB intervened. Through the PCCB office in Manyara Region, we have already addressed the issue and two farmers have been reimbursed their money. One farmer had paid 17m/-, while the other had dished out 16.2m/-,” he said.
The director general further explained that they also conducted an investigation into fraud committed against 300 entrepreneurs in the district. The entrepreneurs raised 140,000 /- each with the promise of starting a poultry business.
Such fraudulent act, he said, took place in 2016, after one trading company in collaboration with some dishonest government officials obtained 42m/- by false pretenses.
Brigadier General Mbungo pointed out that after PCCB intervened, the company’s leader, who was wanted since 2016, surrendered himself to the Bureau, ready to start making repayments.
He also spoke on complaints on poor construction of Lwanyo Water Dam in Mbarali District, in which the project contractor, Boimanda Construction Company, the district director and irrigation engineer for Mbeya Zone were suspected of abandoning the project.
“The PCCB is going on with investigations into the matter and has reached an advanced stage. We have noted that the construction of the dam cost a total of 2,951,469,353/70, but up to now the facility is not in use as intended,” the DG said.
While in Geita region during an election campaign, President Magufuli received complaints on a stalled project that involved the construction of VETA college buildings. The Brigadier General reveled that upon intervention by PCCB, they learnt that some sub-contractors were being paid their money.
Such sub-contractors, he said, were demanding over 1.3bn/- from the main contractor, and that already PCCB has questioned the main contractor to find reasons behind his failure to pay them (sub-contractors).
The PCCB director general spoke of complaints against individuals who took URSUS tractors on loan.
He said in resolving this problem, PCCB office in collaboration with the National Development Corporation (NDC), in September 2020, conducted a 21-day operation to collect records on debts in Arusha and Morogoro regions, during which a total of 562,158,000 / -, which was government money, was recovered.
“These and all other grievances will continue to be addressed with utmost speed, as today you will witness a representative from one non-governmental organization being refunded over 118m/- that had been diverted through fraudulent means,” Brigadier General Mbungo said.
The director general pointed out that the remaining amount of 172m/- will be reimbursed by the suspects within three months from now.
