EPA case ruling set for Nov 1

Farijala Hussein & Rajabu Maranda

The Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court has yesterday postponed the judgment of the theft case involving three businessmen and the Bank of Tanzania (BOT) officials charged with falsely obtaining more than 3.8bln/-, until November 1 this year.

Prosecution led by State Attorney Oswald Tibabyekomya told the court that the case was ready for judgment and both defense and prosecution sides were ready to hear it.

The judgment was scheduled to be delivery by a panel of three magistrates but Magistrate Samwel Kalua postponed it for reasons beyond him.

The accused in the case are businessmen Farijala Hussein, Rajabu Maranda, Ajay Somani and BOT officials Imani Mwakosya, Esther Komu and Sophia Larika.

According to the charge sheet it was alleged that all the accused between January 18 and November 3, 2005 in Dar es Salaam, conspired to obtain money by false pretences.

It was further alleged that the first accused, Hussein on September 18, 2005, intending to defraud forged a certificate (Reg. No. 46218) and an extract from register No. 46218 showing they were signed and issued by the deputy registrar of business names to Mibale Farm.

Hussein is also alleged of lying that the forged certificate of registration and extract from the register were legit while knowing that they were not.

In the fourth count for all accused, it was alleged between November 6 and 24, 2005 intending to defraud, they obtained 1,099,400,000/- from BOT by pretending that Lakshmi Textile Mills Co. Ltd of India owed Mibale farm the same amount.

In the sixth count for Hussein, Maranda and Somani, it was alleged that between November 6 and 24, 2005 they obtained 2,769,505,737/13 from BOT under the same pretence.

In the last count for accused Mwakosya, Komu and Lalika, it was alleged that on November 3, 2005 at BOT, being employees of BOT as heads of bilateral commercial debts division, acting deputy director debt department and acting secretary to the bank respectively, they made the bank suffer a loss of 1,099,400,00/- due to negligence.