Five Ilala municipal staff in court over graft claims

BY KARAMA KENYUNKO

Five workers from the Ilala Municipal council appeared before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court yesterday in Dar es Salaam charged with seven counts of corruption allegations along with abuse of office and larceny of more than 11m/- from the government.

The prosecution led by the prosecutor from Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), Allen Kasamala named the accused as Clara Nyongeja, from the Ministry of Finance where she served as a Computer Operator, Elizabeth Thomas, Mercy Willliam Nyalusi and Joseph Kagwira Kaika all Ilala Municipal council employees as Acting Municipal Education officer, Accountant and Expenditure Accountant respectively. Also swept by that wave of contention is Simon Pilla, a head teacher for Juhudi and Ukonga Primary Schools.

Before Resident Magistrate Agnes Mchome, Prosecutor Kasamala requested the court to issue the summons to the accused Elizabeth Thomas and Mercy Johnson despite their absence from court.

On the first count it was alleged that on various dates in February 2010 in Ilala District, the accused Nyongeja Thomas, Nyalusi and Kaika in the discharge of their duties did intentionally abuse their positions by failing to crosscheck and inspect the documents of salary arrears claims of 23 Municipal Primary School teachers submitted to them and subsequently unduly authorizing 11,825,000/- to Simon Pilla, a head teacher of Juhudi and Ukonga Primary School.

On the second count it was alleged that on March 1st 2010 again at Juhudi Primary in Ilala District the accused Pilla being head teacher of the school and in course of discharging his duties, did intentionally abuse his position by forcing George Masinde a teacher from Ukonga Primary school where the accused is also the head teacher and who entrapped his teacher out of his salary arrears up to a sum total of 3.9m/.

On the third count, it was alleged that on March 2nd 2010 Pilla, did again in the course of duty did intentionally abuse office by forcing Bahati Said a teacher at Ukonga Primary school to surrender to him salary arrears the sum of 3,895,000/- and conferred the said amount for himself.

It was further alleged that on the same date and place, the accused Pilla again forced another, one Ester Mdachi also a teacher at Ukonga and she was ripped off out of 4,030,000/- by the head teacher. The fifth count alleges that the following day, March 3, 2010 at the same place, Pilla forced yet another teacher, Mwaija Chowo of Ukonga Primary school out of a some 3m/-.

On the sixth count it was alleged that on the same date and place the accused Pilla stole 11,825,000 the property of the government of the united Republic of Tanzania. It was not specified how he did it.

On the last count it was alleged that on the same date and place the accused Pilla corruptly obtained 3M/- from Mwaija Chowo also a teacher at Ukonga whom the accused ensnared demanding excessive funds that she received as part of her salary or face disciplinary action.

All the accused who appeared in court pleaded not guilty to the charges and they are out on a 5m/- bail which required two reliable sureties from the government or any recognize institute.

Investigation into the case complete as per the prosecution and the case was adjourned until October 24, this year when it comes up for preliminary hearing.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN (12/10/2012): http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=46851