Suspects in gold concentrates scandal set to appear in court

Dar es Salaam. People implicated in the two presidential committees that probed contents of mineral concentrates exported for smelting will be arraigned anytime from now, The Citizen has leant.

The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) director general Valentino Mlowola told this paper that investigation on people implicated in the reports was at the final stage.

Speaking yesterday during an exclusive interview at the PCCB headquarters, Mr Mlowola said any time from now courts including a division of the High Court dealing with Corruption and Economic Crimes would start arraigning people implicated in the scam.

“Investigation is at the final stages. After consulting the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and establishing charges facing everybody, anytime from now we will start arraigning the suspects,” he said.

He said the Bureau was investigating the issue professionally to avoid losing cases after they have been lodged at the court.

“Losing cases destroys the integrity of public organs charged with ensuring citizens get their rights. We won’t allow citizens to lose trust in our institutions. We’ll do that by ensuring we win cases sent to the court,” he said.

“Evidence on some of the cases needs to be collected abroad, where special arrangements are required, which describes why sometimes more time is required to complete investigations and prosecute suspected people,” he added.

He warned public servants with the habit of engaging in embezzlement of public funds and resources that they would be followed wherever they are, including after retirement to ensure the law takes its course.

According to him, the country will not succeed in its anti-corruption crackdown spearheaded by President John Magufuli if people continued misusing the country’s natural resources, a situation that will make it difficult for the nation to meet the target of becoming a mid-income economy by 2025.

The two presidential committee reports submitted their findings to President Magufuli in March and June, this year, suggesting stern measures against public servants implicated in the scam.