Tanzania Parliament finds Pan African Parliament’s Vice President guilty

Dodoma. The Parliament Powers, Privilege and Ethics Committee has found Shinyanga Urban MP Stephen Masele (CCM), guilty of four accounts.

Delivering the verdict, the committee chairman and Tabora Urban MP (CCM), Mr Emmannuel Mwakasaka said Mr Masele was found guilty of writing a short message service (sms) and sending it to top government officials.

He was also found guilty of travelling outside the country without the approval of the Speaker of Parliament.

Mr Mwakasaka said Mr Masele also acted wrongly when he failed to honour the Speaker’s call for him to return home.

The fourth count, for which Mr Masele was found guilty, is that of acting in a manner that puts leaders at loggerheads during his recent address in the South Africa based Pan African Parliament (PAP).

Mr Masele, who is the First Vice President of South Africa based Pan African Parliament (PAP), was grilled on May 20, 2019, by the committee following accusations revealed by the Speaker Job Ndugai.

The probe was chaired by Tabora Urban MP (CCM), Mr Emmannuel Mwakasaka.

Mr Ndugai summoned the youthful politician on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, to appear before the powerful committee..

The Speaker announced then that Mr Masele’s membership to PAP was temporarily suspended.

Speaking shortly after being grilled on May 20, Mr Masele warned against the danger of interpreting one’s defence of basic human rights as an act of “misbehaviour.”

“I have been deputy minister and I am well conversant of the leadership ethics. I have never been reckless and you can check my record on that. What I have said was only in the defense of human rights and my respect to my seniors is unquestionable,” said Mr Masele.

“It is my hope that justice will be served but I am certain that I have done nothing in contravention of [accepted] conducts of an MP both within the Tanzania Parliament and PAP.”

More updates to follow….