Tanzanian Association Oslo

Italian witness in Dar to

testify vs Mahalu

-Identified as top government official dealing in document certification

THISDAY REPORTER
Dar es Salaam

A SENIOR Italian government official has arrived in the country in response to a summons to testify in the 2bn/- embezzlement case facing former Tanzanian ambassador to Italy, Professor Ricky Costa Mahalu, and a key aide, Grace Martin.

The case hearing, which formally began late last month, is scheduled to continue today at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam.

According to THISDAY’s sources, the Italian government official is Marco Papi, described as a public notary and land title deed custodian dealing in document certification.

He jetted into Dar es Salaam from Rome, Italy, a few days ago, and is listed as one of at least ten prosecution witnesses lined up by the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) which is handling the case on behalf of the state.

The first witness called by the prosecution witness was former State House chief secretary Matern Lumbanga. PCCB Prosecutor Tabu Mzee has said other witnesses will include at least one expert to testify on the forged nature of the documents used in the embezzlement scam.

Prof. Mahalu and Ms Martin are facing six counts of economic sabotage and causing over 2bn/- loss to the government while serving as civil servants at the country’s embassy in Rome. It is alleged that in 2002, the duo used false payment vouchers and other documents to show that the price of buying an embassy building in Rome was euros 3,098,741.58, which was euros 2,065,827.60 above the actual price, and thus pocketed the difference between them.

The case, being heard by Kisutu Principal Resident Magistrate in-Charge Sivangilwa Mwangesi, has drawn much local and international attention as a litmus test case of the fourth phase administration’s resolve to clamp down on grand corruption. Prof. Mahalu is the highest-profile government official so far brought to trial before a local court of law since President Kikwete’s administration came to power.

Giving testimony as first prosecution witness last month, Lumbanga - who is now Tanzania’s UN ambassador in Geneva - denied taking part as State House chief secretary in the preparation of two different purchase contracts for the Rome embassy building.

He admitted having discussed with Prof. Mahalu the need to have an embassy office building in Italy, and that a year or so later, Mahalu approached him again to inform him that the price of the earmarked building had gone up. But according to Lumbanga, he did not participate in preparing a new contract, and only learnt of the two existing agreements from newspaper reports after the accused was arrested.