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Friday 3 August 2018

BUSINESSMAN LANDS IN COURT FOR BRIBING MINISTER LUKUVI

Businessman Mohamed Kiluwa appeared before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam, yesterday, charged with corrupt transaction for allegedly corruptly giving 90m/- to the Minister of Land, Housing and Human Settlement Developments, Mr William Lukuvi.

Kiluwa, who is a Director of Kiluwa Steel Group Co. Ltd and Kiluwa Free Processing Zone, denied the charge before Principal Resident Magistrate Huruma Shaidi. The Magistrate granted him bail on condition of securing two reliable sureties.

One of the sureties, according to the Magistrate, was required to deposit in court cash bail of 45m/- or surrender a title deed of immovable property certified at the same amount. The case was adjourned to August 15, 2018 for mention as investigations into the matter have not been completed.

An officer with the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), Magera Ndimbo, alleged that Kiluwa committed the offence on July 16, 2018, at between 06.10 and 14.00 hours at the Ministry of Land, Housing and Human Settlement Developments Office at Kivukoni Front Street in Ilala District.

Being the Director of Kiluwa Steel Group Co. Ltd and Kiluwa Free Processing Zone, the businessman is alleged to have corruptly given the Minister 40,000 US dollars (equivalent to 90m/-) as an inducement so as to forebear him to submit to the ministry office certificate of occupancy of 57 plots.

Such plots, according to the prosecution, are of Block B Kikongo and Block D DisunyuraIndustrial Area, Kibaha Township in Coast Region. The prosecution told the court that such matter was in relation to the principal’s affairs of Minister Lukuvi.

Meanwhile, the prosecution has asked for more time to complete investigations into the trial of two prominent businessmen, Harbinder Sethi and James Rugemalira, facing 350bn/- economic sabotage and money laundering charges.

PCCB Prosecutor Leonard Swai told Principal Resident Magistrate Huruma Shaidi at the same court, yesterday, when the case came for mention that investigators were still collecting more evidence into the matter.

“Under the circumstances, your honour, we pray for a mention date pending further investigations into the trial,” he requested. Defence advocates Michael Ngalo and Hajra Mungura could not object the prosecution’s request, but pushed for speedy completion of the investigations. The Magistrate granted the prosecution’s request and adjourned the trial to August 16, 2018.

In the trial, the businessmen are facing 12 counts of conspiracy, leading organised crime, forgery, uttering a false document, obtaining money by false pretences, occasioning loss and money laundering.

Between October 18, 2011 and March 19, 2014, at various places in Dar es Salaam in the United Republic of Tanzania and various places in Republic of Kenya, South Africa and the Republic of India, jointly and together, they allegedly conspired to commit an offence obtaining money by false pretences.

Within the same period in the city of Dar es Salaam, the prosecution alleged, being not public officials but in collusion with public officers, all accused persons intentionally and knowingly managed, financed and furthered the objectives of a criminal racket with intent to reap profit or other benefit.

Between November 29, 2013 and January 23, 2014 at Stanbic Bank Limited, Centre Branch in Kinondoni District and at Mkombozi Commercial Bank PLC, St Joseph Branch inIlala District, by false pretences, all accused persons obtained 22,198,544.60 US dollars and 309,461,300,158/27.

The court heard further that on November 29, 2013 at Stanbic Bank Limited, Centre Branch in Kinondoni District, by their willful acts, jointly and together, Sethi and Regemalira caused the government of United Republic of Tanzania to suffer a pecuniary loss of the said amount.

It is alleged that on diverse days between November 29, 2013 and January 23, 2014 at different places in the city, jointly and together, the accused persons conspired to commit an offence of money laundering by acquiring from the Bank of Tanzania the money.

On November 29, 2013 at Stanbic Bank Limited, Centre Branch in Kinondoni District, Sethi acquired the 22,198,544.60 US dollars from the BoT, while he knew at the time of acquisition of the money was the proceeds of the said predicate offence.

The prosecution alleged further that between November 29, 2013 and March 14, 2014 at the same bank, Sethi acquired the 309,461,300,158/27 from BoT, while knowing that such money was the proceeds of a predicate offence of participating in an organised criminal group and racketeering.

It is claimed also that on January 23, 2014 at Mkombozi Commercial Bank, St Joseph Branch in Ilala District, Rugemalira acquired 73,573,500,000/- from Sethi, while he knew at the time of acquisition the money was the proceeds of the said predicate offence.

The court was also told that on the same day at the same bank in Ilala District in the city, Rugemalira acquired from Sethi 22 million US dollars, while knowing that the said money was the proceeds of a predicate offence of participating in an organised criminal group and racketeering.

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