By Bernard Lugongo
The Citizen Reporter
Dar es Salaam.The Ethics Secretariat has released 60 names of the first batch of public leaders whose wealth will be physically verified, calling for cooperation during the exercise that starts next Monday.

The exercise on the named batch would end on March 1, and the Secretariat would later move to the second, third and other groups according to the budget.The Secretariat said it expected a positive response from the leaders calling on them to provide relevant documents because it had already informed them about the exercise.

When disclosing the names yesterday, the Commissioner of the Secretariat, Lady Justice (rtd) Salome Kaganda, allayed fears among the leaders over the exercise, telling them not to think that the verification meant that they were suspects.

“This is a normal legal exercise…it doesn’t mean that we suspect them,” she said.This came after completion of the filling and submission of wealth declaration forms by the Secretariat. A total of 7,378, equivalent to 82.5 per cent of public leaders, who were supposed to fill and submit wealth declaration forms did so by January 13 this year. This number was an increase of 22.5 per cent compared to last year.

Members of the first group to undergo wealth verification include, among others, minister for East African Cooperation Samuel Sitta, Ubungo MP John Mnyika (Chadema), Dar es Salaam City mayor Didas Massaburi, MP for Mbeya urban Joseph Mbilinyi (Chadema), Rukwa regional commissioner  Stella Manyanya (MP) and Manyara regional commissioner Elaston Mbwilo.

Others are Nehemia Mchechu (Director General of the National Housing Corporation), Lulindi MP Jerome Bwanausi, and Liwale MP Faith Mitambo.

Justice Kaganda said the selection of the names considered various cadres in leadership and different areas. She assured that the exercise would be headed by skilled officers to help determine the exact wealth the leaders possess.

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