MP Chenge locks horns with Ethics Secretariat

The Ethics Secretariat was yesterday forced to postpone the questioning of Bariadi West Member of Parliament, Andrew Chenge after he submitted a High Court stop order explicitly barring any and all authority from discussing any matter concerning the Tegeta Escrow account scandal.

MP Chenge was summoned by the ethics body after he was implicated in the Tegeta Escrow account scam and is accused of pocketing sums in excess of 1.6bn/- from Mkombozi bank.

Briefing journalists yesterday in Dar es Salaam, Ethics Secretariat Judge, Hamisi Msumi said that they were forced to postpone the questioning session after a heated debate between Chenge’s lawyer and the body’s lawyer over the right to discuss the matter.

“We have been blocked by the High Court order…we are forced to postpone the exercise,” he conceded.

On his side, a visibly disturbed Bariadi West MP, Andrew Chenge called on the secretariat to adhere to the High Court order. 

“The ethics secretariat should not continue with its business because I have officially submitted the stop order…this process will continue after the permission is granted by the court,” Chenge insisted.

In his comments, the Ethics Secretariat Lawyer, Hassan Mayunga maintained that the body has all the rights to question Chenge because the stop order does not interfere with their duties.

He explained that according to section 132 of the Constitution, there will be a body responsible for investigating all civil servants and to monitor their conducts.

“This body is free, there is no institution that can bar it from performing its duties,” he said adding that their role is to investigate the conducts of civil servants and not scandals or rather, they are investigating Chenge as a public servant and investigating the Tegeta Escrow account.

Reading Chenge’s charge sheet, Mayunga said that being the Attorney General, Chenge facilitated illegal selling of 35 per cent of shares from the Independent Power Tanzania Limited (IPTL) to VIP Engineering and Marketing knowing it is against the procurement law.

He said that Chenge took advantage of his position to ensure the shares are sold all the while knowing that it was against the law and public servant’s ethics.

The scam has already seeing several high ranking official take the fall including the Energy and Minerals Minister Sospeter Muhongo.

Other officials include Former Attorney General Fredrick Werema who resigned together with  the Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development Minister, Prof Anna Tibaijuka while Energy and Minerals Permanent Secretary Eliakim Maswi was suspended pending investigations on his role in the matter.  

Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) and Independent Power Tanzania Limited (IPTL) jointly owned the account following a tussle over capacity charges between the two in local and international courts.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN