DPP accuses MPs of bribery
Dar es Salaam. Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Biswalo Mganga says there are MPs who are being bribed by suspects in order to put pressure on him in the course of executing his duties.
Mr Mganga said this when responding to allegations levelled against him by legislators, including Mr Zitto Kabwe (ACT-Wazalendo), that his office had turned money laundering cases into a revenue stream.
Reacting to the DPP’s allegations, Mr Kabwe told The Citizen via SMS, “He is the DPP and yet he issues judgment?”
But National Assembly Speaker Job Ndugai said, “We will work on the issue if that is what the DPP has said. We can’t simply ignore such claims.
“We will carefully approach the issue to avoid misuse of Parliament’s name. We will not take the claims for granted,” he said, but added that the matter was yet to be officially communicated to his office.
Debating the 2019/20 budget proposals of the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government, and the President’s Office, Public Service and Good Governance, Mr Kabwe sought to know the laws used by the DPP to hold discussions with suspects, reduce or dismiss punishments or opt for payment of fines. Mr Kabwe, who doubles as the ACT Wazalendo leader, said there was no law or regulation allowing what was happening, and demanded to know where the money was going and the person responsible for auditing the same.
But Mr Mganga said the suspects were the ones telling him that they were ready to admit to charges brought against them.
“They write letters that can serve as evidence for anybody who is interested. I then provide the same to the court to do its job when the suspects admit charges facing them.
“I will be the most stupid DPP in the world if I continue investigating cases whose suspects have decided to admit charges facing them.
Mr Mganga said he was aware of bribes that were distributed among lawmakers in connection with a money laundering suspect and that is why parliamentarians are exerting pressure on him, but he maintained that he will continue doing his job according to the law. He said those claiming that he had no authority to do what he was doing were ignorant of the law, and referred them to the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA)
