The office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) yesterday handed over to the state assets worth over 70bn/- nationalised from criminal businesses across the country.
The assets in form of various types of minerals, cash and cars, including the 12bn/0 that has already been paid through plea bargaining by about 300 suspects in money laundering, tax evasion and economic sabotage cases.
Handing over the assets at the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), DPP Biswalo Mganga said asset recovery was done in the past three to four years.
Among the nationalised properties include minerals like gold, diamond, tanzanite and others.
“The assets are also part of the other assts recovered in the past, stored on special Asset Recovery Account at the BoT,” he said.
Authorities have also nationalised 24 residential houses, nine land plots, 65 vehicles, two plantations, 6,894 pieces of timber and one boat.
The press briefing was attended by Finance and Planning Minister Dr Philip Mpango, Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Dr Augustine Mahiga and Minerals Minister Doto Biteko.
Others included Treasury Permanent Secretary Dotto James, Justice and Constitutional Affairs Permanent Secretary Professor Sifuni Mchome, Prevention and Combating Corruption (PCCB) director general Brig. Gen. John Mbungo and other senior government officials.
The DPP said the assets value does not include plots and houses because their valuation is yet to be conducted, as they were being handed over to the Treasury PS.
The DPP described the submission of the money collected and the properties nationalised a historic as historic as it is the first time this has happened.
He urged all defendants who entered plea-bargaining agreements to make sure that they pay the money as agreed. Failure to honour the agreement will result in the enforcement of court orders, he cautioned.
The assets include the gold that was seized and returned from Kenya.
In his remarks, Dr Mpango commended the DPP and his team for a job well done, saying the government will do all it can to ensure the country’s resources are protected.
“This country is very rich, and I commend the DPP and his team for a job well done. Keep it up, do not get frightened by threats that you receive, for it is better you die protecting your country than live in peace whole letting people sabotage it.” He remarked.
Comments