Two senior officials with the National Environment Management Council (NEMC) were arraigned at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam charged with soliciting bribe of 6m/- from the Director of Kamal Steels Industry, Sameer Gupta.
Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court
They are Jarome Kayombo (35) and Milton Mponda (32), both Environment Officers with NEMC staying at Kimara Baruti and they denied the charge before Resident Magistrate Geni Dudu. The Magistrate granted them bail on condition of securing one surety each who signed a bond of 5m/- of the like sum.
The case has been set for hearing on May 23, this year. Investigations, the prosecution said, have been completed. The magistrate directed that before going into full trial on the same day, the court would conduct first a preliminary hearing.
During preliminary hearing session, the prosecution would disclose particulars, detailing how each accused person participated in the commission of the offence charged.
Reading the charge, an official from the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Kelvin Murusuri told the court that the two accused persons committed an offence of a corrupt transaction between May 4 and 5, last year, at the Industry at Chang’ombe area in Temeke District.
The prosecutor alleged that within the period in question, being employees of NEMC, hence agencies of the government, Kayombo and Mponda corruptly solicited the said sum of 6m/- from Sameer Gupta as an inducement to forbear from preparing a report and take legal action against the Company.
According to the prosecution, the two NEMC officers had inspected the industry’s compound and conducted environmental impact assessment and found out that the said industry was unfit to run its business.
By FAUSTINE KAPAMA, Tanzania Daily News
