Speed up investigations into Kitilya case, court orders

Dar es Salaam. The Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday ordered prosecution to speed up investigations into a criminal case facing the former Commissioner General of Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Mr Harry Kitilya, and two others.

Mr Kitilya is charged along with two others with Sh12 billion money laundering.

Principal Resident Magistrate Cyprian Mkeha gave the order yesterday after the prosecution informed the court that investigations into the case were still going on.

“The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) informed us that the PCCB is still going on with investigations of the case,” State Attorney Mutalemwa Kishenyi told the court.

Mr Kishenyi asked the court to set a date for another mention as they wait for the completion of the investigations. However, the defence advocate, Mr Alex Mgongolwa, raised concerns about the delayed investigations.

According to him, his clients were suffering at the remand prison since their first arraignment on April 1, this year. He asked the court to order prosecution to speed up the investigations into the case.

The magistrate adjourned the case to November 1.

Apart from Mr Kitilya, the other accused are former Miss Tanzania and head of Investment Banking at Stanbic Bank, Ms Shose Sinare, and Mr Sioi Graham Solomon, who was the Chief Legal Counsel to the bank.

They first appeared before the court on April 1, this year charged with eight counts including Sh12 billion money laundering. The other charges include forgery and obtaining money by false pretences.

The accused allegedly committed the offences between August 2012 and September 2015.

In respect of money laundering count, the accused allegedly directly engaged themselves in a transaction involving $6 million by transferring, withdrawing and depositing the money in five different bank accounts maintained by EGMA Company at Stanbic Bank Tanzania Limited and KCB Bank Limited.

They allegedly engaged in the transaction while they ought to have known that the said money was the proceeds of a predicate offence of forgery.