The government has been advised to provide video proof on the funeral and burial of former Governor of the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), Daudi Balali, who died and buried in the US about four years ago.
Speaking during the House question and answer session yesterday, Masoud Salim (Mtambile, CUF) asked the government whether the former governor was dead or alive, and if it is true that he died, then it should furnish the video detailing his funeral and burial.
Salim said it was necessary for the government to provide the video on the late governor’s funeral as evidence so that people could refrain from relating the incident to that of Osama bin Laden, the Al-Qaeda leader whom the American government claims it buried at sea. In a supplementary question, Salim had wanted to know when the government would seriously deal with the embezzlers of government funds.
In his response to the first question, Deputy Finance minister Gregory Teu said according to a report the government received from its embassy in the US, Balali died and he was buried in the States.
“What I am aware of and the information obtained from our embassy in the US, Balali died and everything concerning him had better be taken as bygone,” Teu said.
The Bank of Tanzania made an official announcement of Dr Balali’s death and burial in the US on May 2008.
However, the announcement has left suspicion among many Tanzanians, who have been questioning whether Dr Balali really died or not and have been asking for evidence on his burial. Dr Balali, who was former Governor of the Bank of Tanzania was seriously implicated in a massive corruption scandal involving embezzlement of more than USD116.5m (133bn/-) while in office during the third phase government.
Prior to his death however, a drama ensued that led to his resignation as he proceeded abroad allegedly for medical examination.
Pressured largely by the public, Dr Balali let it go, but in December 2007, a senior government official said he was not aware of the resignation.
“We have just read about the alleged resignation of the governor through the press” State House Director of Information Salva Rweyemanu said in a telephone interview.
He added: “If there is a letter to that effect, then its existence will be known later because the President is on leave.”
Leakage of Balali`s resignation became vivid when the resignation letter he submitted to President Kikwete detailing the reasons for his resignation surfaced.
In the letter, Dr Balali is alleged to have cited the reasons for resignation as having undergone a major operation at a Boston Hospital in the US where he had been admitted for “over three months.”
Some months later, it transpired that he was not going to come back to Tanzania. This was followed by the announcement that he died and had been buried in the US.
Answering the second question, the minister said the government has been taking serious measures to check theft and embezzlement of its funds, adding that between 1998 and 2010, it dismissed a total of 75 council directors besides taking action on 33 councils including filing cases against them in court.
In the basic question Salimu had wanted to know the loss the government has incurred in monetary terms due to negligence, theft and embezzlement in the period between January and October 2010.
In his answer, the minister said according to the Controller and Auditor General’s report 5.1bn/- was lost through theft, negligence and embezzlement in the 2009/ 2010 financial year.
He further said that after the ministry received the 2009/2010 CAG report, it took measures including informing the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau and the Directorate of Criminal Investigation for further action.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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