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Three Tanzanian MPs charged for soliciting bribe

Xinhua, March 31, 2016 Adjust font size:

Tanzania's anti-corruption watchdog on Thursday charged three Members of Parliament (MPs) in court with soliciting bribe to the tune of 30 million Tanzanian shillings (about 15,000 US dollars).

A statement from the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) said all the three MPs were members of the parliamentary committee on local authorities' accounts.

The statement named the MPs from the ruling party -- Cham Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) -- as Suleiman Ahmed Saddiq, outspoken Kangi Lugola and Victor Mwambalaswa.

The legislators appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Thomas Simba at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate's Court in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

PCCB prosecutors Maghera Ndimbo and Emmanuel Jacob told the fully packed court that the three MPs asked for the 15,000 US dollars bribe from Gairo district council executive director.

The prosecutors said they asked for the bribe to enable the parliamentary committee to approve the district's financial report without discussing it.

All the three MPs were granted bail after they had paid a five million Tanzanian shillings (about 2,500 Us dollars) bond each.

"PCCB would like to inform the public that nobody is above the law. Corruption will never be tolerated," said the PCCB statement, adding that the case was adjourned to April 14 this year. Endit