Tanzania: Investigation Into Msd Boss Case Progressing Well - Court

THE investigations process into economic trial of two senior officers with Medical Store Departments (MSD), Laurian Bwanakunu, the former Chief Executive Officer and Byekwaso Tabura, who is Acting Director of Logistics, is progressing well.

This was revealed by a prosecutor with Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), Fatuma Waziri at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate's Court in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, when the case against the two officials came for mention.

"Investigations into the matter have not been completed, but we have reached at a good stage," the trial attorney told Principal Resident Magistrate Richard Kabate. The prosecutor, thus, requested the court to adjourn the trial to another date for another mention.

The magistrate granted the prosecution's request and adjourned the case to November 11, 2020. He told the counsel for the accused persons that they should wait until the next court session to see whether the investigations into the matter are progressing well.

In the case, the two MSD senior officials are charged with leading organised crime, abuse of position, money laundering and occasioning loss of over 3.8bn/- to a specified authority, offences which are alleged to have been committed between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2019 at various places.

Within the period in Dar es Salaam and other various places within the United Republic of Tanzania, being public officials, jointly and together and in violation of their official duties, the accused allegedly intentionally promoted the objectives of a criminal racket with intent to reap profit or other benefits.

The prosecution alleges that on diverse dates within the period at Keko area in Temeke District, jointly and together, by their willful acts, Bwanakunu and Tabura caused the MSD to suffer a pecuniary loss of 3,816,727,112/75.

Between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2019 at Keko areas in Dar es Salaam, in violation of section 9A of the Public Service Act, Banakunu allegedly intentionally abused his position by paying the said amount to employees of MSD as additional salaries and house allowances.

According to the prosecution, the ex-MSD boss, made such payments without the approval of the Permanent Secretary, President's Office (Establishment), thereby causing the employees to obtain undue advantage of such amount.

The court heard that within the period at Keko areas in Temeke District in the city and at various places in Tanzania, jointly and together and by their negligence acts, including poor storage of pharmaceuticals, thereby rendering them to be unfit for use, caused MSD to suffer loss of 85,199,879/65.

On money laundering, the duo was charged that within the same period in Temeke District, jointly and together, all accused persons acquired 1,603,991,095/37, while they knew at the time of acquisition the amount was proceeds of a predicate offence of participating in an organised group and racketing.