Dar es Salaam: Public servants charged over loss of 600 million/-

BY KARAMA KENYUNKO

Three Dar es Salaam City Council’s employees appeared yesterday before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court to face some 90 charges with counts that include conspiracy, stealing as public servants costing the city over 600m/-.

Lead prosecutors, the State Attorney from Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), Hellen Osujaki assisted by Faraja Sambala named the accused as Elida Mponda, Council Assistant Accountant and main Cashier.

Others are Geofrey Kibesa, Council’s Assistant Accountant and Revenue Collector and Ernest Mchanga who is a Revenue accountant.

The court also issued the arrest warrant for the Chief Internal Auditor, Fatiel Maleko who is accused of charges but is still at large.

The one of the accused, Elida Mponda is charged with 69 counts of stealing, illegally collecting money from Ubungo bus terminal and forging various cheques that were paid by different companies and banks.

While Geofrey Kibesa is charged with 18 counts of stealing and inter the city into loses of some 87.5m while Ernest Mchanga is charged with one count of occasioning the loss of 187m/- to the City.

Before Resident Magistrate Victoria Nongwa it was alleged that in Dar es Salaam, on different dates, time and months between 2004 and 2007, all the accused, employees of the Dar es Salaam City Council, conspired to defraud a total of 379m/-.

The accused pleaded not guilty against all the charges and were remanded in custody after they failed to meet the bail Conditions, two reliable sureties with authoritative letters and then, Mponda was to deposit 190m/ or non-immovable property equivalent to the said amount. Kibesa 44m/- or vie non-immovable property and Mchanga was to deposit 94m/-.

The case has been adjourned for February 5, this year when it will be brought up for mention as investigations go on.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN (24/01/2013): http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=50472