Application to nationalise DECI properties and money heard at the High Court

Dar es Salaam. The High Court - Dar es Salaam has heard an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for nationalizing the properties and Sh14.1 billion that belonged to Development Entrepreneurship for Community Initiative (DECI), a pyramid scheme.

The application was heard today April 2, 2019 by the court’s Judge, Stephen Magoiga, with DPP Biswalo Mganga leading a panel of three state attorneys to ensure the properties and the cash is available for public use, according to the law.

The DPP opened the application at the High Court about six years ago after directors of DECI were found guilty of running an illegal pyramid scheme by the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in the criminal case no. 109 of 2009.

The DECI leaders, who were pastors and leaders of different Pentecostal sects, were found guilty of committing the offence in 2013 and sentenced to three years in jail or pay a total fine of Sh21 million. However, the convicts paid the fine to avoid imprisonment.

Those found guilty and paid the fine and who are also respondents to the DPP’s application are Jackson Sifael Mtares, Dominick Kigendi, Timotheo Saigaran ole Loitginye and Samwel Sifael Mtares.

During the hearing of the application, senior state lawyer Shadrack Kimaro told the court that the respondents were already found guilty, in the criminal case no. 109 of 2009 at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court, of committing the offence of running the pyramid scheme.

Earlier, Judge Magoiga on in the day threw out applications of 18 affected people from DECI who had asked to be paid a total of Sh2.4 billion out of DECI’s Sh14.1 billion kept in different bank accounts blocked by the government since 2009, after DECI  leaders were charged and found guilty.