Bunge team begins work on CAG report
Deputy Speaker Job Ndugai (right) hands over the CAG’s report on the Tegeta escrow account controversy to Public Accounts Committee chairman Zitto Kabwe (centre) and his deputy, Mr Deo Filikunjombe, in Dodoma yesterday. PHOTO | EMMANUEL HERMAN
Dodoma. A parliamentary team today begins to
dissect the voluminous report by the Controller and Auditor General
(CAG) on the Tegeta escrow account scandal following the official
release of the document by the Office of the Speaker.
Members of the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC)
scrutiny of the anxiously-awaited report will facilitate the unravelling
of how Sh306 billion in taxpayers’ money was withdrawn from the Bank of
Tanzania (BoT) and ended up in the coffers of a private company.
Apparently, the money should have been claimed by
Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco), but was questionably
withdrawn to facilitate a suspect purchase of the Independent Power
Tanzania Limited (IPTL) by Pan Africa Power (PAP).
The funds were deposited with the BoT as part of a
guarantee requirement in the multi-billion shillings electricity supply
contract between IPTL and Tanesco.
Deputy Speaker Job Ndugai, who handed over the
report and other evidence contained in various documents to PAC at a
brief function in Dodoma, pledged openness on the handling of the
remaining process.
Also present at the handing-over function were
other committee members and minister of State in the Prime Minister’s
Office (Policy, Coordination and Parliamentary Affairs), Mr William
Lukuvi.
PAC chairman Zitto Kabwe (Kigoma North-Chadema) and his deputy Deo Filikunjombe (Ludewa–CCM) poured praise on The Citizen newspaper for blowing the whistle on the matter and consistently following up on further developments.
“Even the PAC never knew anything about this IPTL scandal until The Citizen
broke the story that is now appearing to be of help to Parliament as
discharges its duty of supervising the government,” Mr Filikunjombe
said.
Mr Ndugai directed the PAC to use the
Parliamentary Immunities, Powers and Privileges Act to steer the process
as it studies the report before its scheduled tabling in Parliament
next week.
He said the committee should also work on the
advice from both the CAG and that of the Prevention and Combating of the
Corruption Bureau (PCCB), whose report on the same escrow scandal will
also be availed to Parliament.
The deputy speaker tasked the office of the Clerk
of National Assembly to work with PAC in ensuring that the task is
completed on time and handed over to him for approval before it is
tabled for open debate.
The Citizen confirmed that the Clerk, Dr
Thomas Kashilila, immediately allocated PAC a team of four senior
officials from his office who will work closely with the committee as
the task to comb through the report starts.
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