Corruption is for real, says Judge Bomani

-Warns of possible fall-out from court cases

PENDO PAUL NDOVIE
Dar es Salaam

PROMINENT former judge and attorney general Mark Bomani declared yesterday that corruption in the country was real and widespread.

He told a news conference in Dar es Salaam that attempts to portray the country as a corruption-free haven were woefully misguided.

Bomani, who is still a practising advocate of the High Court, furthermore discouraged top government and public officials named by opposition legislator Dr Wilbrod Slaa in the now-famous ’List of Shame’ from seeking legal redress.

’’I urge those who are threatening to go to court over the allegations of corruption against them, to think twice before taking such a step because it may develop into something totally unexpected,’’ he said.

He added: ’’Based on my experience in these matters as a judge and currently as an advocate, I would advise these people to do a rethink and consider if there is any real need to take this issue to the courts.’’

At least three of those named in the list of prominent leaders alleged to have been involved in several dubious multi-billion shilling deals while in office in recent years, have separately announced over the past week their intention to sue Dr Slaa and a private Kiswahili tabloid for making the list public.

They are the Minister for Energy and Minerals, Nazir Karamagi; the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Gray Mgonja; and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water, Patrick Rutabanzibwa.

By contrast, yesterday’s news conference was convened by Bomani to clarify on remarks attributed to him in an article published by the Kiswahili weekly Rai, where he ostensibly spoke in defence of the public leaders named in the ’List of Shame’.

Bomani said the newspaper not only misquoted him, but also published an article that was completely out of the context of the actual interview.

The former attorney general, who also once chaired a government task force on the Legal Sector Reform Programme, asserted that corruption was indeed present in Tanzanian society in both the public and private sectors.

Claims that corruption does not exist in Tanzania are a falsehood, he stated.

He pointed out that President Kikwete himself declared publicly last year that he had a list of public leaders involved in corruption, and gave them an ultimatum to reform or risk being reprimanded.

Speaking generally about the state of corruption in the country, Bomani said the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) should effectively enforce the newly-passed anti-graft legislation to tackle high-level corruption.

He specifically cited provisions of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Act of 2007 that compel public officials to truthfully declare all their assets.

Bomani challenged the PCCB to exercise its powers and prosecute public officials who under-declare their assets under this Act.

He noted that the Bureau has so far done little to apply the new legislation for the prosecution of corrupt people looting government funds in the public sector.

’’It is high time that the PCCB starts to fully discharge its mandate and wipe out corruption. It should start taking real legal action against all public officials who are in contravention of the new anti-graft law,’’ Bomani said.