Arusha. Former Arusha City Council Tanzania Social Action Fund (Tasaf) coordinator, Mr Amani Mlay, has been arrested in Mtwara Region after spending more than five months in hiding while evading a 20-year prison sentence.
Mr Mlay fled in January 2026 before judgment was delivered in Criminal Case No. 000011512/2024, in which he faced six counts, including four of using forged documents with intent to deceive his employer, contrary to the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Act.
Arusha Regional Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) officer, Ms Zawadi Ngailo, told journalists yesterday that the suspect was arrested on Sunday, June 21, 2026, in the Mangaka area of Nanyumbu District following an extensive manhunt.
Ms Ngailo said Mr Mlay, while serving as Tasaf coordinator for Arusha City Council, prepared and submitted false documents between May and December 2023, purporting that a contractor had supplied construction materials for a fence project at Shangarao Primary School in Arusha City. Investigations later established that no such supplies were made, with the value of the alleged materials estimated at Sh64.2 million.
The Arusha District Court delivered its judgment on January 16, 2026, convicting Mr Mlay on four counts and sentencing him to 20 years in prison. However, he absconded on the Day of Judgment before the sentence could be executed, prompting the issuance of a warrant for his arrest. Ms Ngailo said legal procedures are underway to return him to court.
for the formal reading of the sentence and enforcement of the prison term.
She urged the public to continue cooperating with PCCB in reporting corruption and economic sabotage cases, stressing that offenders will not escape justice.
Arusha resident, Mr Abdul Rajabu, commended PCCB for the arrest, saying it would deter corruption and encourage integrity in public service delivery.
