Kangi Lugola: linked with €408m fraud

Tanzania’s anti-corruption watchdog said on Friday that sacked Home Affairs Minister Kangi Lugola was among 17 key suspects behind the signing of a controversial 408 million Euros deal for the procurement of firefighting and rescue equipment for the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force.

John Mbungo, the Acting Director General of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), said investigations by the bureau have revealed that at least 17 public servants including Lugola were key suspects.

Another senior key suspect according to the investigations was the sacked Commissioner General for the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force, Thobias Andengenye, Mbungo told a news conference in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

On Jan. 23, President John Magufuli sacked Lugola and Andengenye for allegedly signing the dubious contract with a Romanian firm to supply equipment for the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force and ordered PCCB to investigate officials behind the deal.

Mbungo said investigations on the deal have been completed by 99.9 percent, adding that a report on the investigations will be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions in the next seven days for further appropriate action.

He said in the course of the investigations, the alleged Romanian company that was involved in the signing the controversial contract submitted a letter to PCCB requesting cancellation of the contract without compensation because it is aware the deal was invalid.