PCCB in Action: Bahi MP’s bribery case adjourned

LUDOVICK KAZOKA

THE Kisutu Resident Magistrate's Court has adjourned the bribery case facing the Bahi Member of Parliament (CCM), Omary Ahmed Badwell (43), following the death of his sister in Dar es Salaam.

Before the Magistrate, Mr Faisal Kahamba, the defence lawyer, Mr Mpale Mpoki, requested the court to adjourn the case as his client was attending the burial of his sister whose name was not immediately established.

"The court has adjourned the case for another mention on September 3, to allow the accused to attend the burial of his close relative," said Mr Kahamba. The Bahi legislator, Badwell, was for the first time arraigned before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate's Court in Dar es Salaam, charged with soliciting and receiving a bribe on June 5.

Badwell, who is also a member of the Parliamentary Local Authority Accounts Committee (LAAC), denied the charges and was released on bail after securing two sureties who surrendered their passports to the court and signed 4m/- cash bonds.

Badwell's advocate, Mr Mpoki, had asked the court to grant his client bail as he could meet the requirements and the offence was bailable. He was subsequently taken back into custody for an hour as his sureties took time to get and submit their passports. A Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Prosecutor, Ms Janeth Machullya, alleged before Resident Magistrate Kahamba that the MP solicited a sum of 8m/- from Ms Sipora Liana, who is District Executive Director (DED) for Mkuranga.

Being a member of a parliamentary oversight committee, the MP allegedly asked for the bribe so as to lobby fellow committee members to give a clean bill of health to the council's budget report.  He allegedly received 1m/- from Ms Liana at Peacock Hotel in Dar es Salaam on June 2, this year.

The PCCB prosecutor alleged that the accused committed the offense between May 30 and June 2 at different locations. Mr Ben Lincoln, who is a PCCB Public Prosecutor, asked the court to set a date for preliminary hearing because the investigations were complete.

Source: Daily News (07/08/2012): http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/local-news/8325-bahi-mp-s-bribery-case-adjourned