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| RUBADA Acting Director General, Alloyce Masanja. |
Other officials suspended are Planning and Investment Director Tabu Ndatulu and Finance and Administration Director Filozi Mayayi.
Agriculture, Foods and Cooperatives Minister Stephen Wasira, addressing reporters in Dar es Salaam, said the decision to suspend the trio came following investigations in connection with mismanagement and corruption allegations that were levelled against the authority’s management.
Besides suspension, the trio’s fate for either a court trial or not will be determined by Prevention and Combating Corruption Bureau (PCCB) and Police.
“One step is taking disciplinary measure against them. Second, because this is crime, we have already communicated with the PCCB and police for further steps,” he explained.
He added that the ministry and the Treasury formed the probe commission led by Mr Simloki Mwanyika (Deputy Director of Internal Audit) and finally concluded that the authority was marred by sickening professional misconduct.
The minister said that in their investigations, the commission found out that 2.7bn/- that were collected from investors who wanted to invest in Rufiji Basin, only 714m/- was lawfully spent.
“About 2bn/- is nowhere to be seen,” Mr Wasira charged, adding that such embezzlement of public funds is unbearable. According to the minister, the investigation also found that 329m/- that were allocated for the construction of an Agriculture Centre in Rufiji went missing.
The minister went on to say that the authority also failed to submit about 58m/- to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) despite deducting such money from workers’ salaries.
“The worst part of it is that millions of money is also being spent without supporting documents,” Mr Wasira said.
He noted that procurement within the authority was being run without following required procedures, also noting that payments were at times also being made through individual bank accounts instead of using the authority’s account.
“This unprofessional conduct frustrates investors who are willing to invest in the Rufiji Basin,” he stated, adding that the management was also found to be too bureaucratic.
The minister has, therefore, directed RUBADA Board’s Chairman to immediately appoint qualified staff to take up the vacant positions while pending the recruitment process.
RUBADA was established in 1975 and charged with multi-sectoral responsibilities of promoting, regulating, coordinating and facilitating sustainable and balanced longterm ecological and socio-economic development in Rufiji Basin.
It was also tasked with supervising activities in energy, agriculture, fisheries, forestry, tourism, mining, industry, transport and environment in the basin.
Daily News
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