Zitto Kabwe
Former chairman of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee Zitto Kabwe has strongly refuted reports in a weekly tabloid that he conversed with President Jakaya Kikwete that the committee was being influenced by IPP Executive Chairman Dr Reginald Mengi.
Noting that the newspaper in question has strong ties with beneficiaries in the escrow payments dispute, the ACT leader said pointedly that those aggrieved by the decisions of Parliament should blame themselves for everything, “not seek for a witch.”
In a short statement on the matter, he trashed as chatter the idea that Dr Mengi was paying monies to MPs so as to undermine the government, saying that if anyone has a trace of evidence of such claims take the testimony to relevant state organs for action.
He said the parliamentary report prepared by the Public Accounts Committee which he then chaired had nothing to do with Dr Mengi, as the businessman is not an MP, is not a PAC member and did not influence the committee in any way.
“Escrow thieves should not hanker to seek out a witch whereas the witch is their own theft. Idle chatter that Mengi bribed MPs so as to undermine the Government remains idle talk,” he emphasised.
He similarly stated that he did not need emissaries to be able to see the president as the newspaper suggested, as there are formal channels of doing that. And in the course of his meetings with the president he had never talked about private individuals, he said.
“Thus to say that I went to the State House to talk about Mr Mengi is to smear me and disparage the institution of the presidency,” the former parliamentarian stated.
He said he had directed his advocates to take requisite legal measures against Taifa Imara newspaper as well as Mawio newspaper for a series of fabricated stories against him each time they appear.
He also cited instructions to place charges before the Media Council of Tanzania so that the two newspapers substantiate their reports implying that they will otherwise be forced to recant their stories and apologise.
Apart from the circulated statement, Zito Kabwe went over the remarks at a rally at the primary court ground in urban Shinyanga, a day after the IPP Executive Chairman raised alarm on his safety following grave accusations of working to undermine the government.
In a cheeky extra, the newspaper even cited its sources as affirming that upon hearing that Dr Mengi was working to undermine the government, President Kikwete is said to have “vowed to destroy him.”
Dr Mengi expressed consternation and trepidation that the State House and the Directorate of Information had remained silent in the face of such accusations directly smearing the president, apart from himself.
When contacted by our sister newspaper Nipashe Jumapili for comment, top level government sources refused to comment on the reports.
Director of Information Assah Mwambene said simply that he had no comment to make, while Chief Secretary Ambassador Ombeni Sefue said he wasn’t aware of the reports and he had no comment to make.
Noting that the newspaper in question has strong ties with beneficiaries in the escrow payments dispute, the ACT leader said pointedly that those aggrieved by the decisions of Parliament should blame themselves for everything, “not seek for a witch.”
In a short statement on the matter, he trashed as chatter the idea that Dr Mengi was paying monies to MPs so as to undermine the government, saying that if anyone has a trace of evidence of such claims take the testimony to relevant state organs for action.
He said the parliamentary report prepared by the Public Accounts Committee which he then chaired had nothing to do with Dr Mengi, as the businessman is not an MP, is not a PAC member and did not influence the committee in any way.
“Escrow thieves should not hanker to seek out a witch whereas the witch is their own theft. Idle chatter that Mengi bribed MPs so as to undermine the Government remains idle talk,” he emphasised.
He similarly stated that he did not need emissaries to be able to see the president as the newspaper suggested, as there are formal channels of doing that. And in the course of his meetings with the president he had never talked about private individuals, he said.
“Thus to say that I went to the State House to talk about Mr Mengi is to smear me and disparage the institution of the presidency,” the former parliamentarian stated.
He said he had directed his advocates to take requisite legal measures against Taifa Imara newspaper as well as Mawio newspaper for a series of fabricated stories against him each time they appear.
He also cited instructions to place charges before the Media Council of Tanzania so that the two newspapers substantiate their reports implying that they will otherwise be forced to recant their stories and apologise.
Apart from the circulated statement, Zito Kabwe went over the remarks at a rally at the primary court ground in urban Shinyanga, a day after the IPP Executive Chairman raised alarm on his safety following grave accusations of working to undermine the government.
In a cheeky extra, the newspaper even cited its sources as affirming that upon hearing that Dr Mengi was working to undermine the government, President Kikwete is said to have “vowed to destroy him.”
Dr Mengi expressed consternation and trepidation that the State House and the Directorate of Information had remained silent in the face of such accusations directly smearing the president, apart from himself.
When contacted by our sister newspaper Nipashe Jumapili for comment, top level government sources refused to comment on the reports.
Director of Information Assah Mwambene said simply that he had no comment to make, while Chief Secretary Ambassador Ombeni Sefue said he wasn’t aware of the reports and he had no comment to make.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
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