Ballali left a `toxic` dossier
Former Bank of Tanzania Governor Daudi Ballali (photo) left a secret will detailing how the External Payment Arrears (EPA) account was looted and how other scandals involving the bank were planned and executed during his tenure, The Guardian on Sunday has learnt.
The damning evidence has surfaced nearly one year after Dr Ballali died controversially in the United State, after nine months of suffering from an undisclosed illness.
To his family and close friends, he was a man of honour whose career was ruined by crooked politicians who manipulated him to their personal gain, while to his critics, Dr Ballali was the chief architect of what would become known as the EPA scam.
Dr Ballali was buried in Washington DC on May 23, 2008, at a private funeral arrangement supervised by the De Vol Funeral Home.
Mourners from different parts of the world sent in condolence messages through a guestbook posted in the De Vol Funeral Home website.
Dr Ballali, who was fired as Tanzania`s central bank governor in January 2008 amid the EPA allegations, had died a week earlier, on May 16, in a Boston, Massachusetts hospital.
According to family sources in London and Washington, the late Dr. Ballali reached the decision to draft his last will and testimony after realising that he was being duped by powerful corrupt individuals from the third phase regime, who were using the election campaign as a shield to loot public funds.
The individuals who have been named in connection to the EPA scam, BoT twin towers and other graft scandals promised the late Governor protection but failed to do so in the face of mounting public pressure and President Kikwete’s firm stance on the war against corruption.
``He finally established that they had used him for their personal interests but failed to defend his image…he died a very disappointed man,`` said one family member who requested anonymity for fear of retribution.
The source, who travels frequently between London and Washington for business activities, said, ``Having been irked by the way his image was being tarnished Mzee (Ballali) decided to write a very damning dossier which he left as a will.``
``That dossier was critically vetted and edited by both local and international legal experts before he signed it…It has concrete evidence on who planned EPA and the motive behind that scandal,`` the family member said.
According to the source, the damning document is currently being kept in what was described as ‘safe custody’ in London and Washington.
``We can`t release it so far because there were certain conditions that Mzee (Ballali) issued before his death…That it should be released if his enemies continue to implicate him in the EPA and other scams that rocked the BoT,`` the source said.
``It is toxic evidence on everything that took place during his service - well-detailed and backed with concrete evidence.``
In the will, the source said, the late Ballali narrated how he was under pressure from some top officials within the third phase regime to release billions of shillings to a prominent MP from the Lake Zone regions who claimed that the monies were to be used to finance political activities in 2005.
According to the dossier, Dr Ballali finally succumbed to the pressure and agreed to authorise the looting of billions from the dormant EPA account, which held billions of shillings.
``They promised him strong protection…some claimed that since he was helping their side to win, no one would touch him, but they finally duped him,`` the family member said.
Since his controversial death last May, some EPA suspects and intelligence officials have struggled unsuccessfully to obtain the dossier.
``We can`t release it for now but if they continue to attack or associate him with what transpired, then we shall leak it to the local and international media so that Tanzanians and the world get to know the truth,`` the source added.
Dr Ballali’s role in the scandal resurfaced recently when a key witness named him before the court as the one who authorised the EPA payments.
Some local retired politicians and lawyers told The Guardian on Sunday they were aware of the will, though they denied having seen its contents.
At least two prominent lawyers confirmed that Dr Ballali had left a written will that explained his role during the 2005 EPA scam, which has become synonymous with Kikwete`s ramped up efforts to fight grand corruption over the past two years.
``He died with a top secret in his heart but at least he remembered to put what he knew in writing…So far he is a dead man and let’s forget him,`` a senior prominent lawyer told The Guardian on Sunday.
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