Prof Mahalu’s Trial Starts Next Month
Hearing of the 2bn/- economic crimes case against former Tanzanian Ambassador to Italy, Costa Ricky Mahalu and two others starts next month
FAUSTINE KAPAMA
Hearing of the 2bn/- economic crimes case against former Tanzanian Ambassador to Italy, Costa Ricky Mahalu and two others starts next month at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam. The prosecution said investigations were complete.
A Prevention of Corruption Bureau (PCB) official, Joseph Holle, told Senior Resident Magistrate Sivangilwa Mwangesi yesterday that they would first read the memorandum of facts on April 23 to disclose particulars of how the offence was committed.
Prof. Mahalu, who is defended by advocates Alex Mgongolwa and Bob Makani is charged in the case together with the former Embassy’s Finance Attache’, Steward Prosper Migwano, and the then counsellor of the embassy, Grace Alfred Martin.
Advocates Majura Magafu and Cuthbert Tenga are defending Migwano and Martin, respectively. On February 20, this year, PCB prosecutors promised the court that they would do every possible means to ensure investigations into the case were completed by this month.
In the case, the accused are alleged to have conspired with other people not in court on different dates in Italy, Tanzania and other places in the world to steal from the government of Tanzania.
The prosecution alleged that on September 23, 2002 at the Tanzanian Embassy in Italy in Rome, being employees of the government, the trio used a payment voucher dated September 23, 2002, containing false particulars.
With intent to deceive their principal contrary to the Prevention of Corruption Act, the accused allegedly indicated in a payment voucher that the purchase price of the Tanzanian Embassy building was 3,098,741/58 Euros, while it was untrue.
The prosecution alleges further that on October 1, 2002, at the embassy, Prof. Mahalu, Migwano and Martin also used sales contract and sales receipt, both dated October 1, 2002, containing similar false information.
On the same day, the accused allegedly stole 2,065,827/60 Euros, property of the government. The trio was also charged with another offence of occasioning loss of the said amount to the government by their wilful acts and misconduct.
Source: Daily News
