CIS 180bn scam: Tanzania Government to act

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

hold on a minute..

CAG anasema:

The government should not end up with EPA only. It needs to arrange for a review of other areas with identified weaknesses like the Commodity Import Support (CIF) Fund

Nikisoma maneno vizuri ni kama amesema kuangalia EPA, CIS, n.k Hii nakadhalika inanishangaza.. what else could have gone wrong huko Benki KUu? Kwanini tusiamue kuwaalika mabenka na wachumi wa kimataifa toka kama Japan au Uingereza kuipitia Benki Kuu na akaunti zake hizo zote au hata wale wale wa Deloitte and Touche ili once and for all watuambie kweli nini kimetokea Benki Kuu.. haya mambo ya kuangalia vitu kwa vipande vipande haya tutajikuta 40 years later bado tunaulizana maswali yale yale.

Benki Kuu ipewe a foreign management company kwa ubia na nchi kama za Skandinavia hivi n.k waieendeshe.. kwa sababu tumeshindwa. I know.. wengine watasema tunajidhalilisha uhuru wetu na tunajishusha ukweli ni kuwa wenyewe tayari tumejishusha!!!

 

[MchunguZI]

Sasa nimeuona udhaifu wa serikali hii. Kama isingekuwa dhaifu kiasi kikubwa, kwa kesi zinazoendelez mahakamani, namimi hadi jambo hili lianze kuwekwa wazi, wahusika wangekwisha kimbia kulipa madeni. Kukaa kwao kimya ni imani wanafahamu udhaifu au usanii ulioko serikalini.

Hawa ni wahalifu. Wahalifu wanatishia wafuatiliaji wa madeni! Kwa upande mwingine nashindwa kukubali kwamba huu ndo utaratibu. Kwamba serikali inashindwa kudai inamtumia mtu mwingine!

 

[MchunguZI]

.................................Nilitoa mfano wa Kampuni ya kigogo moja ambayo peke yake ilichokua fedha kupitia makampuni feki 35.

Please! Please! Slaa. If you don't mind let us know the name of Kigogo in reference.

Kwa sababu yoyote ile siwezi kukulazimisha maana nimeona hata msanii wetu Rais akishindwa kutaja majina ya wala rushwa wa Bandarini. Sijajua ni kwa kuheshimu taaluma gani.

 

[Mzee Mwanakijiji]

Dr Slaa,

Kwanza tutajie huyu Kigogo mwenye makampuni feki 35 ili hizo nguvu unazotaka tuziunganishe nguvu zetu ili kupambana. Hii tabia ya kuficha ficha ndio imetufikisha hapa.

Tutajia huyo kigogo hapa JF we dare to talk openly

amesema he is on "record" tangu mwaka 2007... so itakuwa vizuri kama utatafuta ni wapi alisema hilo na kuona alisema nini. Kama alisemea Bungeni, you check the hansard, kama alisema kwenye gazeti basi unatafuta alikosemea.. usimaccuse kuwa anaficha kitu wakati amesema he is on record saying whatever he claims to have said.

 

[Mulugwanza]

Dr. Slaa tutajie huyo kigogo tafadhari!

 

[Masatu]

amesema he is on "record" tangu mwaka 2007... so itakuwa vizuri kama utatafuta ni wapi alisema hilo na kuona alisema nini. Kama alisemea Bungeni, you check the hansard, kama alisema kwenye gazeti basi unatafuta alikosemea.. usimaccuse kuwa anaficha kitu wakati amesema he is on record saying whatever he claims to have said.

Ndio tatizo lako hilo unapenda kuudandia treni kwa mbele. Alie ulizwa hajajibu unadakia. Kuna haja gani ya kwenda kupekua huko kwenye hansard wakati mhusika mkuu yupo hapa hapa?

 

[Monsignor]

amesema he is on "record" tangu mwaka 2007... so itakuwa vizuri kama utatafuta ni wapi alisema hilo na kuona alisema nini. Kama alisemea Bungeni, you check the hansard, kama alisema kwenye gazeti basi unatafuta alikosemea.. usimaccuse kuwa anaficha kitu wakati amesema he is on record saying whatever he claims to have said.

Inawezekana alisema kama alivyosema hapa sasa hivi akitarajia kuwa wahusika watamfuata nakutaka kujua. La alitaja jina nadhani well and good ila naamini JF ingekuwa nalo. Pamoja na hayo simshauri ataje kama atakuwa hajaamua. Kwani nina hakika hata akitaja yatampata yaliyompata Mengi.

 

[skasuku]

Swali langu: Je Dr. Slaa akimtaja huyu kigogo hapa, what next? Nionavyo mimi, alichofanya Dr. Slaa hapa ni kutoa mwanga ya jinsi madudu yanavyo endelea huko CIS. Tusiweke gadhabu katika hili suala, ila tuwe na coordinated pressure katika channel husika.

MMM, labda hi ni topic ambayo unaweza fanyia utafiti ukatoa katika jarida la Cheche? Mwaga dataz kamili humo..?

 

[LeoKweli]

hold on a minute..

CAG anasema:




Nikisoma maneno vizuri ni kama amesema kuangalia EPA, CIS, n.k Hii nakadhalika inanishangaza.. what else could have gone wrong huko Benki KUu? Kwanini tusiamue kuwaalika mabenka na wachumi wa kimataifa toka kama Japan au Uingereza kuipitia Benki Kuu na akaunti zake hizo zote au hata wale wale wa Deloitte and Touche ili once and for all watuambie kweli nini kimetokea Benki Kuu.. haya mambo ya kuangalia vitu kwa vipande vipande haya tutajikuta 40 years later bado tunaulizana maswali yale yale.

Benki Kuu ipewe a foreign management company kwa ubia na nchi kama za Skandinavia hivi n.k waieendeshe.. kwa sababu tumeshindwa. I know.. wengine watasema tunajidhalilisha uhuru wetu na tunajishusha ukweli ni kuwa wenyewe tayari tumejishusha!!!

Najua kwa uzoefu wako wa kazi za usalama unaweza ku connect dots. Ndio maana nikasema hili zoezi zima la kupigana na ufisadi lazima tuiguse CCM , tukifanya hivyo tutawaamsha, lakini sasa hivi hawana haraka na chochote, kwasababu tunawagusa mmoja mmoja.

 

[BAK]

Dr Slaa, naona bado uko hapa ukumbini tafadhali tuwekee jina la huyo kigogo aliyetumia makapuni fake 35 kujipatia mikopo ambayo hakustahili kuipata.

 

[BAK]

Latest findings show that: 16 `ghost` companies on list of CIS debtors

-No sign of them anywhere any more, debt collectors say

THISDAY REPORTER
Dar es Salaam

AT least 16 'ghost' companies are amongst those that looted billions of shillings from the Commodity Import Support (CIS) fund, it has been revealed.

The non-existent companies are included in a list of more than 900 firms that received a staggering 180bn/- from the CIS fund during the time it was being administered by the Ministry of Finance.

A check on the official addresses of all the listed companies has established that after receiving their share of the loot, the obscure firms have long since disappeared into thin air.

The 'ghost' companies appear to have sprung up virtually out of nowhere, on the back of a legitimate and well-connected local trading network.

According to findings by debt collectors hired by the government to recover the CIS funds, it is not even clear any longer whether the 16 companies ever existed at all, other than on paper.

The executive director of the independent debt collection company commissioned by the government to recover the CIS money, Ibrahim Msolopa, confirmed that his company has been unable to trace the whereabouts of at least 16 companies on the list.

The firms appear to have been fraudulently paid billions of shillings from the CIS fund through falsification of their records at the Business Registration and Licensing Authority (BRELA).

''We have been unable to make any headway on these companies, despite all our efforts so far. But we are still continuing,'' Msolopa told THISDAY in an interview in Dar es Salaam.

He declined to name the 'ghost' companies in question nor disclose their total debts, saying his debt collection agency - Msolopa Investment Company Limited - is still in the process of compiling its report.

It is understood that the physical verifications of listed addresses for the said 'ghost' companies revealed that none of the firms ever occupied their registered offices.

Sources familiar with the CIS scam say the apparent looting of public funds using shell companies is a similar technique to the fraud used in the Bank of Tanzania's (BoT) external payment arrears (EPA) account embezzlement scandal.

According to Msolopa, only 40 companies had by last month fully repaid their debts from the CIS fund.

He noted that while legitimate businesses appear to be cooperating to repay their loans, debt collectors are having their jobs cut out for them in trying to recover the money from fraudulent companies.

It is also understood that while several of the companies on the list appear to be making some efforts to repay their debts, others have not only refused outright to pay up, but are even issuing threats to debt collectors.

Msolopa told THISDAY last week that the company is now seeking police assistance in the task of recovering CIS money from hostile debtors following the recent spate of serious threats against debt collectors.

The debt collection company is set to meet soon with senior officials from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, and the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), to discuss the next move to be taken against the bad debtors.

In his latest government audit report, the Controller and Auditor General (CAG), Ludovick Utuoh, also cited the CIS funds scam as one of the major issues that need to be seriously addressed by relevant authorities.

CAG Utouh said instead of just concentrating on the EPA account scandal, the government should broaden its anti-corruption horizons to include scandals like the CIS funds debacle.

 

[Pdidy]

SERIKALI imedaiwa kuwalinda wamiliki wa makampuni yaliyokwapua pesa kutoka kwenye mfuko wa uwezeshaji Commodity Import Support (CIS), zaidi ya sh bilioni 200, imefahamika.

Habari ambazo Tanzania Daima imezipata, zinasema zaidi ya makampuni 70 ambayo baadhi yanamilikiwa na wabunge na wakurugenzi wa mashirika ya umma, wamekingiwa kifua na serikali wasifikishwe mahakamani baada ya kugoma kulipa madeni yao.

Vyanzo vya habari kutoka Wizara ya Fedha na Uchumi pamoja na ofisi ya wakala aliyepewa jukumu la kukusanya madeni hayo, Kampuni ya Msolopa Investment Ltd, vimedai kuwa Jeshi la Polisi, limeombwa kushiriki kuwakamata wadaiwa hao.

“Hapa katika Wizara ya Fedha, baada ya kuona wadaiwa wanapiga chenga kulipa, tulimwandikia Mkuu wa Jeshi la Polisi (IGP), Said Mwema, tukimtaka atoe askari wake washirikiane na wakala wa kukusanya madeni hayo ili wadaiwa sugu watiwe mbaroni, lakini ameshindwa kutoa askari,” alisema ofisa mmoja Mwandamizi Wizara ya Fedha.
Imedaiwa kuwa baada ya barua hiyo ambayo iliandikwa na Katibu Mkuu Wizara ya Fedha kushindwa kufanyiwa kazi, Kampuni ya Msolopa nayo iliandika barua kwa jeshi hilo ili litoe askari wake, lakini IGP Mwema alisema jeshi lake linakamata watu wenye makosa ya jinai tu na si wa madai.

Msemaji wa Wizara ya Fedha na Uchumi, Ingiahed Mduma, alipoulizwa kuhusiana na wizara yake kuomba msaada Jeshi la Polisi, alisema mpango huo unaweza kuwa ni maandalizi tu ya kuwakamata baada ya kipindi cha miezi sita walichowapa wadaiwa hao kurejesha fedha zao, kutimia juzi.

“Kama kuna barua hiyo kwenda Jeshi la Polisi, inaweza kuwa ni maandalizi tu ya kuwakamata, lakini wewe hutakiwi kujua, kwasababu haya ni mambo ya ndani, tulikuwa tumewapa miezi sita ambayo imemalizika juzi na kama unataka habari zaidi, njoo ofisini,” alisema Mduma.

Tanzania Daima ilipowasiliana na Ibrahim Msolopa kuhusiana na madai hayo, alikiri kuomba msaada wa polisi lakini ameshindwa kupewa baada ya serikali na jeshi kushindwa kutoa ushirikiano.

“Ni kweli tuliomba msaada kwa IGP Mwema ili atusaidie kuwafikisha wadaiwa hao mahakamani kutokana na wengine kuonyesha uhuni, lakini alisema hadi serikali imwambie,” alisema.

Alisema kazi ya kukusanya madeni hayo, imekuwa ngumu na hali hiyo imechangiwa na serikali kuwalinda baadhi ya watuhumiwa ambao wamekuwa wakionyesha kukaidi kulipa madeni yao.

Kwa mujibu wa Msolopa, kampuni yake imefanikiwa kukamata nyumba tano za wadaiwa walioziweka dhamana wakati wa kukopa, lakini hata nyumba hizo zikiuzwa, haziwezi kulipa deni husika kwani yameongezeka.

Katibu Mkuu wa Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), Dk. Wilbroad Slaa, aliwahi kusema kuwa wakala huyo hatafanikiwa kukusanya madeni hayo hadi pale suala hilo litakapofanywa kuwa la jinai.

Akizungumza na Tanzania Daima hivi karibuni, Dk. Slaa alisema suala hilo litafanikiwa pale ambapo serikali itaamua kuwatafuta wahusika walioandikisha makampuni hayo ambayo mengi ni hewa.

Dk. Slaa ambaye ndiye aliyekuwa akilia na serikali juu ya ufisadi huo kupitia mfuko wa CIS, alisema hatua ambazo serikali imezichukua haziwezi kubaini ufisadi huo kwani zaidi ya sh bilioni 800 zimefujwa na makampuni hewa.

Kati ya makampuni 916 yanayodaiwa kukopa fedha hizo serikalini kwa lengo la kuagiza bidhaa nje ya nchi mara baada ya kutokea matatizo ya kifedha nchini, ndani ya kipindi cha miezi saba sasa, Msolopa Investments imeweza kuyafikia makampuni 450 tu, huku mengine yakiwa taabani na hayafanyi kazi na hayana uwezo wa kurejesha madeni hayo.

Mfuko wa CIS ulianzishwa miaka ya 1978 na 1980 baada ya nchi kukabiliwa na uhaba mkubwa wa fedha za kigeni. Uhaba huo ulisababisha wafanyabiashara waliokuwa wakiagiza bidhaa kutoka nje kushindwa kulipia bidhaa hizo.

Katika kulinda heshima ya nchi, serikali iliomba mkopo kutoka kwa wafadhili wa nje ili zipatikane fedha za kigeni kulipia mrundikano wa madeni.

Baada ya kupata msaada serikali ilianzisha mfuko uitwao ‘Commodity Import Support’ (CIS), ambapo wafanya biashara waliokuwa wanadaiwa bidhaa walizoagiza kutoka nje walikopeshwa na kulipia deni kwa fedha za kigeni.

Ili kusimamia vizuri fedha hizo za CIS na kwa kuwa wafanyabiashara wengi walikuwa wateja wa National Bank of Commerce (NBC), Benki Kuu (BoT) iliagiza NBC ifungue akaunti iitwayo ‘External Payment Arrears’ (EPA) kwa ajili ya kukusanya marejesho yaliyokuwa yakifanywa na waliokopa kwenye mfuko wa CIS.

Marejesho hayo yalikuwa yakitumwa Benki Kuu kila mwezi ili kwenda kufidia kwenye mfuko waliokopa. NBC ilisimamia akaunti hiyo ya EPA kwa muda, lakini baadaye ilifungwa na kuhamishiwa BoT.

Source: Tanzania Daima

 

[BAK]

Dar tycoons linked to massive CIS fraud​

-Believed to have forged documents, signatures for both fictitious and existing companies and directors

THISDAY REPORTER
Dar es Salaam ​

AT least two prominent Dar es Salaam-based business tycoons are alleged to have been involved in massive fraud behind the looting of more than 180bn/- from the Commodity Import Support (CIS) fund, it has been learnt.

A local debt collection agency hired by the government to recover all or part of the missing funds is said to have stumbled upon fictitious documents used by the two businessmen of Asian origin to defraud the government of billions of shillings via the CIS scheme.

According to informed government sources privy to developments in the import support scam investigation, the duo is believed to have forged documents and signatures for a string of companies, using the names of both fictitious and existing firms and directors to access the funds within the scheme.

The bona fide owners of several companies whose names were used in the scam, were reportedly shocked to later learn that their firms were in debt for money they never received.

While government records show that more than 900 firms benefited from loans issued through the CIS fund, the owners of quite a few of the indebted companies on the list are denying any knowledge of the transactions.

It has now emerged that some real company names were used through forged documents and signatures to gain access to the loans, and our sources say the discovery of the massive forgeries is further complicating the CIS money recovery effort.

The sources, however, say that as the probe continues, the spotlight of suspicion for much of the fraud has now fallen firmly on the two city-based businessmen of Asian origin, both known to be �politically wired� and whose names are withheld for now.

The growing fear within government now is that much of the monies stolen from the CIS fund through these two suspects may never be recovered by the debt collection agency, Msolopa Investments Ltd.

''Their names do not appear in any documents, but they have been fingered by several people as being the main architects of the CIS scandal,'' said one of our informed sources within the system.

Apart from the forgery scam involving the owners of real companies without their knowledge, it is alleged that the two businessmen also registered a string of 'shell' companies to further facilitate the siphoning of CIS funds literally at will.

These shell companies, lacking actual offices or staff, were registered specifically for the sole purpose of pushing forward the scam, our insiders say.

Said one well-placed source: ''Once the government paid monies in terms of billions of shillings through the CIS scheme into the bank accounts of these shell companies, the funds were immediately withdrawn from those accounts and the companies ceased to operate henceforth.''

There are even reports of evidence suggesting that some bona fide company owners may have been consciously hoodwinked by the two main suspects to hand over their own company documents on the pretext of entering into some sort of a business partnership.

Speculation has slowly but surely been growing within government quarters over the fate of some prominent local personalities who are directly in line to face legal action arising from failure to repay loans they took out of the CIS scheme.

It, however, remains unclear if and when such action may be taken.

The CIS funds were disbursed from the mid-1980s to 2000, as part of a Japanese financial aid package to Tanzania. Sources say around 300bn/- was disbursed under the CIS programme in terms of loans to locally registered companies.

The government is said to have so far recovered approximately one third of these funds (100bn/-), while the rest of the money remains unaccounted for.

 

[Teamo]

ni kama ''E.P.A-IN A NEW LOOK''!

 

[BAK]

ni kama ''E.P.A-IN A NEW LOOK''!

Yaani! ufisadi juu ya ufisadi na wahusika wako mtaani wanapeta na mabilioni yao waliyoyapata kifisadi, halafu Serikali Sanii inatudanganya Watanzania kwamba inapambana na ufisadi!!!

 

[Chapakazi]

bubu ataka kusema, nakupa hongera kwa kudumisha hii thread, kwa kuendelea kui-update, ama sivyo ingepotea tu kama nyingine nyingi.

 

[Kachero]

Mbona hayo majina ya hao two prominent business persons yanalindwa na serikali wakati inajulikana wazi kuwa forgery ni criminal offence,sasa inakuwa vipi Serikali inashindwa kufuata sheria zake yenyewe ya makosa ya jinai kwa kuwachukua hao wafanya biashara wawili mashuhuri na kuwafungulia mashtaka ya kugushi ili kulipatia hela isivyo halali.

Mbona kumekuwa na kigugumizi ghafla,magazeti hayawataji hao wafanya biashara,Dr. Slaa naye kataja tuu kuwa mmoja wa wafanya biashara hao alifungua makampuni hewa 35 yakachota hela na baada ya hapo yakatokomea.

Mimi naona hii ni staili ya mfanyabiashara mmoja anayeunganishwa na Kagoda Agriculture,ukiangalia jinsi mambo yalivyopelekwa wakati wa kuchukua mikopo ya CIS ndiyo parten iliyotumika kuchukua fedha za EPA BOT.

Kwa wale wataalam wa CRIMINOLOGY kila mhalifu au kundi la wahalifu huwa na stail yao fulani ambayo kwa kiasi kikubwa ndiyo signature ya kazi zao.Kwa namna magazeti yanavyoendelea kuripoti,Serikali kuwa na kigugumizi,na Msolopa kushindwa kutaja wazi wazi nani hao wanaosadikika kuwa ni vinara wa wizi wa Bil 180 CIS sintashangaa kuwa Rostam Aziz na swahiba wake Manji wakiwa ndio vinara wa wizi huo na ndio wahusika wakuu.

l stand to be corrected but l think I am right.

 

[Mkereme]

Mbona hayo majina ya hao two prominent business persons yanalindwa na serikali wakati inajulikana wazi kuwa forgery ni criminal offence,sasa inakuwa vipi Serikali inashindwa kufuata sheria zake yenyewe ya makosa ya jinai kwa kuwachukua hao wafanya biashara wawili mashuhuri na kuwafungulia mashtaka ya kugushi ili kulipatia hela isivyo halali.

Mbona kumekuwa na kigugumizi ghafla,magazeti hayawataji hao wafanya biashara,Dr. Slaa naye kataja tuu kuwa mmoja wa wafanya biashara hao alifungua makampuni hewa 35 yakachota hela na baada ya hapo yakatokomea.

Mimi naona hii ni staili ya mfanyabiashara mmoja anayeunganishwa na Kagoda Agriculture,ukiangalia jinsi mambo yalivyopelekwa wakati wa kuchukua mikopo ya CIS ndiyo parten iliyotumika kuchukua fedha za EPA BOT.

Kwa wale wataalam wa CRIMINOLOGY kila mhalifu au kundi la wahalifu huwa na stail yao fulani ambayo kwa kiasi kikubwa ndiyo signature ya kazi zao.Kwa namna magazeti yanavyoendelea kuripoti,Serikali kuwa na kigugumizi,na Msolopa kushindwa kutaja wazi wazi nani hao wanaosadikika kuwa ni vinara wa wizi wa Bil 180 CIS sintashangaa kuwa Rostam Aziz na swahiba wake Manji wakiwa ndio vinara wa wizi huo na ndio wahusika wakuu.

l stand to be corrected but l think I am right.

Kachero!

Hongera huko mbali sana na ukweli. Pia nimpongeze Babu kwa kuendelea kupasha kiporo moto.

Ukweli ulio wazi ni kwamba Yusuf Manji alikwapua hizo pesa asilimia kubwa na aliwashirikisha wabunge na viongozi wengi wa serikali na CCM kwa hiyo imekuwa ni sirikali. Yeye anayo kinga aliyopewa na Mkapa kupitia kwa WAJINA wake mkuu katibu mkuu wa CCM yUSUf Makamba.

Kwa vile ilikuwa ni dili ya awamu ya pili na Kikwete alishaapa kuwalinda kwani naye ni mfaidika wameamua kula jiwe kwani mtandao uko intact na kutenda lolote ni fedheha kwa chama

 

[BAK]

bubu ataka kusema, nakupa hongera kwa kudumisha hii thread, kwa kuendelea kui-update, ama sivyo ingepotea tu kama nyingine nyingi.

Ahsante sana, huu ndiyo uzuri mmojawapo wa JF kwamba mada kama ukiamua kuifuatilia na kuipdate kila inapostahili kufanya hivyo basi inaweza kabisa "isipotee"

 

[BONGOLALA]

pia list ya waliopata stimulus pkg zitto alitaka bungeni vipi?ama kweli hii ni bongo lala