Five NEMC officials charged

Dar es Salaam. Five officials from the National Environment Management Council (NEMC) appeared before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged with several economic crimes-related offences.

The charges included forging the signature of Mr January Makamba, the minister of State in the Vice President’s Office - Union Affairs and Environment - and obtaining Sh160 million by false pretences. The officials are Deusdedith Katwale, 38, and Lilian Laizer, 27, who are both environmental officers; Luciana Lawi, 33, an Information Technology Administrator; Edna Lutanjuka, 51, a secretary and Mwaruka Miraji, 42, an office attendant.

Before Senior Resident Magistrate Augustina Mbando, all the accused persons were not allowed to enter a plea to the charges, which also comprise of conspiracy to commit forgery, uttering false documents and occasioning loss to a specified authority, because the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the charges as they fall under the Economic and Organised Crimes Control Act.

Under the circumstances, the magistrate ordered the accused persons to be remanded until November 14, 2018 when the case will be mentioned. Investigations into the matter, according to the prosecution, are incomplete.

Reading the charges, State Attorney Faraja Ngoka told the court that the accused commited the crime in a period between September 27, 2016 and April 6, 2018, in the city.

The court heard that on October 17, 2017 in the city, with intent to defraud, the accused forged an Environmental Impact Assessment certificate.

It is alleged that on the same date and place, with intent to defraud, the accused persons also forged the signature of the minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office (Union and Environment), Mr January Makamba.

In October 2017 at NEMC headquarters in Dar es Salaam, knowingly and fraudulently, Ms Lutanjuka allegedly uttered the certificate to one Deogratius Chacha, purporting to show that it was issued by the environment council, which was not true.

The prosecution alleged that between September 27, 2016 and April 6, 2018, in the city, all accused persons obtained Sh160 million from PMM Estate (2001) LTD by falsely pretending that they would conduct an environmental assessment and issue certificate of the same, while it was not true.

It is alleged that within the same period in Dar es Salaam, by their willful act, all the accused caused the NEMC to suffer a pecuniary loss of Sh160 million. After reading the charge, the court issued an arrest warrant to another NEMC official, Magori Wambura.

, who is charged alongside the other accused.

This is the second case some NEMC officials are accused of forging Environmental Impact Assessment Certificates and the signature of the minister on those documents and subsequently obtaining money. The first case involving three NEMC officials was filed in court on July 4, 2018.