TBS boss ‘caused 68m/- in losses’

THE trial of former Director-General of Tanzania Bureau of Standards, Charles Ekelege, took off at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam with the institution’s lawyer testifying on documents used in a motor vehicle deal involving two companies.

Prosecution witness Number One Batista Bitaus told Senior Resident Magistrate Augustina Mbando, for certain periods he was involved in scrutinizing communication papers between the TBS and companies dealing in motor vehicle business and other documents used in the matter.

However, the hearing session could not proceed because the witness, led by a prosecutor from the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Janeth Mechuye, had not come with original documents he was referring to. He was armed with only photocopies of the documents in question.

As a result, the court adjourned the session to today to enable the witness look for original documents so that they could be tendered during the trial as part of prosecution’s exhibits. In the trial, the ex-TBS boss is charged with abuse of office and occasioning loss to an authority of 42,543 US dollars (about 68m/-).

Ekelege allegedly committed the offences between March 28, 2008 and August 7, 2009, at TBS offices situated in Kinondoni District in the city.

It was alleged that within the said period, being the Director General of TBS, in discharge of his functions, intentionally abused his position by waiving 50 per cent of administrative fees worth 42, 543 US dollars to two companies, Jaffar Mohamed Ali Garage and Quality Motors.

The court heard further that such waiver was given without the DG obtaining consent of the Executive Council, an act which was in violation of Regulation 2 (3) of the Tanzania Bureau of Standards Financial Regulations of 2005.

As a result of such act, the prosecution alleged, the two companies obtained undue advantage of the said amount of money. Ekelege was charged with another count of occasioning a pecuniary loss to a specified authority.

The prosecution told the court that within the said period in Dar es Salaam at the TBS offices, by his willful acts, Ekelege caused the Tanzania Bureau of Standards to suffer a pecuniary loss of 42,543 US dollars (about 68,068,800/-).

Ekelege has denied the charges and is out on bail.

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