Radar deal investigation:
help from
-Particularly interested in bank documents of three key suspects in the deal
THISDAY REPORTER
Dar es Salaam
BRITISH investigators have made a formal request for assistance from their local counterparts in their ongoing probe into the military radar scandal, which includes searches of the homes and offices of at least three key suspects.
Among other things, the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has asked investigating agencies in Tanzania
to provide information regarding local bank accounts controlled by some of the radar deal suspects in the country.
The SFO and the home-based Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) have been conducting parallel investigations into the 2002 radar deal between the third phase government of ex-president Benjamin Mkapa and the British arms manufacturer company BAE Systems.
Officials close to the investigations have told THISDAY that the SFO made an official request for assistance to the Tanzanian government ’’some months ago.’’
’’The SFO people have expressed their wish to be granted full access to all non-privileged documents held by the (Tanzanian) government related to the air traffic control system purchased from BAE,’’ a well-placed source revealed.
’’The British investigators have also specifically requested access to documents relating to the financial affairs of three key suspects in the deal,’’ the source added.
The financial documents understood to have been requested by the SFO include bank statements, telegraphic transfers, and records of payments made out to any other account or bank.
’’The British detectives are interested in the banking documentation of these suspects, from as far back as January 1, 1995, right up todate,’’ our sources said.
Negotiations for the purchase of the radar system started in a low-key manner way back in 1992, but truly picked up steam after the Mkapa government came into power in 1995.
Government officials have also confirmed that an official request for mutual legal assistance (MLA) from the SFO has already been received.
It has however, yet to be established if all the requests made by the British investigators have been or will be acted upon.
Our sources within the government’s legal circles say that while Tanzania and the UK usually cooperate on such legal matters without any hiccups, ’’in the case of the radar investigation, it is hard to say how far our local investigators will be willing to go to accommodate the requests of the SFO people.’’
The SFO is known to already possess various important dossiers on the BAE company gained from its own inquiry into the 2002 military radar deal with Tanzania.
Investigations by THISDAY have already established that wanted fugitive businessman Shailesh Vithlani was the alleged paymaster of the deal, doling out millions of dollars in illegal kickbacks to senior officials of the Mkapa government to approve it.
It has been reported that Vithlani negotiated bribe payments with a number of senior government officials and made arrangements for the transfer of the payments from a Swiss bank account.
The British investigators have already uncovered that BAE Systems paid Vithlani a ’commission’ fee of $12m (approx. 15.6bn/-), part of which was paid as kickbacks to senior government officials.
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