TPAs TOP SENIOR OFFICIALS SACKED

TOP Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) senior officials who were suspended last year pending investigations into various allegations including corruption and theft have now been served with termination letters.

Sources in government, who declined to be mentioned because they are not the spokespersons, informed the 'Magu Development Initiative' yesterday that the seven suspended officials including the director general, Mr Ephraim Mgawe, have been officially terminated from service.

The Minister for Transport, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, in August, last year suspended seven top officials at the TPA and Kurasini Oil Jetty (KOJ) pending investigations on several allegations including mismanagement, embezzlement and occasioning losses to the institution.

They included Mgawe, his two deputies, Mr Julius Mfuko and Hamadi Koshuma and Port Manager Mr Cassian Ng'amilo. Others are the KOJ Engineer, Mr Emmanuel Mataro; Jetty Master Capt Joseph Bwakabale and the Oil Terminal Manager who was also responsible for managing the Single Point Mooring (SPM), Capt Tumaini Masaro.

When contacted by the 'Magu Development Initiative,' the Deputy Minister for Transport Dr Charles Tizeba, who did not confirm nor deny whether the suspended officials have been terminated, directed this newspaper to contact TPA officials or Chairman of the Board of Directors for more information on the matter.

When the TPA Acting Director General, Eng. Maden Kipande was contacted, he first did not answer the phone, but later called the 'Magu development Initiative' office and expressly stressed that he does not want to be disturbed. After suspending the TPA's top officials, Dr Mwakyembe then formed a seven-member committee to investigate the allegations of corruption and mismanagement of office, which he said threatened business with neighbouring countries.

The committee, among other things, probed massive loss of containers being handled by Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited.

He said oil theft at the port had increased by 0.5 per cent from 2 per cent which, he said, was caused by people who claim that the oil was crude, adding that it was possible that the thieves were selling the stolen oil to petrol stations. When he received the probe team's report in October, last year, Dr Mwakyembe promised to implement recommendations outlined in the report by December, last year.