By Rosina John.
Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) president Jamal and four
other top officials of the association were on Thursday charged with
forgery and money laundering of Sh1.3 billion.
Mr Malinzi was charged along TFF secretary-general Mwesiga Selestine and an accountant with the federation, Ms Nsiande Mwanga.
The arraignment of
the country's football governing body officials at the Kisutu Resident
Magistrate's Court is a culmination of investigation into allegations of
abuse of office and suspicious money transactions by the Prevention and
Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB).
Charged together
with Mr Malinzu are Mr Mwesiga Selestine, TFF secretary-general and Ms
Nsiande Mwanga, who is an accountant officer with the federation. Others
are Simba Sports Club president Evans Aveva and the club's vice
president Geofrey Nyange alias Kaburu.
The four, who
appeared before different magistrates, denied the charges and were
remanded in custody for failing to meet bail conditions.
Mr Aveva and Nyange were jointly charged with five counts of forgery, uttering forged documents and money laundering.
Senior State
Attorney Mutalemwa Kishenyi alleged that the accused forged the transfer
of a funds request form of March 15, 2016 to show that Simba Sports
Club was repaying a $ 300,000 (about Sh660 million) loan to Mr Aveva.
The two are also
charged with producing a forged document to CRDB Bank at Azikiwe Branch
and on the same date obtained the money from Barclays Bank at Mikocheni
Branch, while they were aware the cash was the proceed of the forgery
offence.
Mr Malinzi and
co-accused Selestine and Mwanga, who appeared before resident magistrate
Wilbard Mashauri were facing 28 counts, including forgery, uttering
forged documents and laundering $375,418 (Sh825.9 million).
The court will on Monday rule on a bail application filed by the defence counsel.
Mr Malinzi and
Selestine are also accused of forging and producing at a city bank
resolutions of TFF executive committee to show that the federation's top
organ had on June 5 last year resolved to change a signatory to its
bank accounts from Edgar Leonard Masoud to Nsiande Isawafo Mwanga.
Mr Malinzi is also
separately charged with forging receipts to show that at different times
between 2014 and 2016 he lent the TFF $375,418 (825.9 million) loan, a
fact the prosecution says the TFF boss knew was false.
The sole woman to
be charged in the scandal, Ms Mwanga is accused of aiding and abetting
Mr Malinzi Selestine to acquire the money from the bank.
Mr Aveva and Nyange were arraigned before resident magistrate Victoria Nongwa in connection with similar charges.
The case will come for another mention on July 13.
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