Dar es Salaam: Court dismisses PCCB poll bribe appeal

Written by FAUSTINE KAPAMA.

THE High Court dismissed an appeal lodged by the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) against the former Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Secretary General, Frederick Mwakalebela and his wife Celina over bribing voters during the CCM preferential polls.

Judge Rehema Mkuye of the High Court's Iringa Registry ruled in favour of the duo after upholding a preliminary objection raised by advocates Alex Mgongolwa and Basil Mkwata.

In their objection, the advocates for the couple had alleged that the appeal by the PCCB lodged to challenge the acquittal of their clients, in respect of the bribery scandal, was incompetent because it was filed without attaching the copy of the judgment issued by the lower court.

The two had been accused of engaging in corrupt activities during the 2010 preferential elections of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) in Iringa Region.

It was alleged that being an aspirant in the CCM primaries, Mwakalebela sought nomination by giving Mkoga Village Chairman, Hamis Luhanga a 100,000/- bribe for distribution to 30 CCM members attending a pre-poll meeting at the village leader's residence.

The shady transaction was alleged to have been made on June 2010 at Mkoga in Iringa Municipality. On the second count, Mwakalebela and his wife Celina were charged with being involved in corrupt practices on July 20, this year, at Mgongo Village in Iringa.

The PCCB prosecutor had said that the former accused persons paid 100,000/- to Gwiso Sanga at a meeting conducted at the village and his wife gave 100,000/- to Gwido Sanga for him to distribute it to 22 CCM members who attended the meeting.

Mwakalebela had won the preliminary polls for the parliamentary seat, but his name was deleted and replaced by Monica Mbega, who was later defeated by Rev. Peter Msigwa of Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema).

At the trial court, the magistrate who heard the case had ruled that the counts for which the couple was implicated and filed by the PCCB did not disclose the offences charged. The PCCB was aggrieved by the decision and crossed over to the High Court by way of appeal.

Source: http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/local-news/18019-court-dismisses-pccb-poll-bribe-appeal