I’M CLEAN: PINDA

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda, strongly denied allegations of his involvement in the sugar importation scam, saying he was ready to be jailed if indeed there is proof linking him to it. PHOTO/FILE 

Dar es Salaam. In a move seen as the scaling up of the Kikwete succession campaign, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda has declared that he is ready to be jailed if allegations that he was involved in the multi-billion shilling sugar importation scam are proved beyond reasonable doubt.

Mr Pinda, who is one of the presidential aspirants within CCM, denies allegations that he received about Sh7.3 billion from two firms that import sugar to support his bid to succeed President Kikwete.

He was, in return, supposed to have granted permits to two local firms to import about 300,000 tonnes of sugar between 2013 and 2014. But Mr Pinda came out strongly this week challenging those who have credible evidence against him to come forward.

He was ready to go to prison, he said, if indeed there was proof of his direct involvement in the scam. The premier was speaking at a public rally in Mpanda on Thursday and questioned why the allegations were being raised in an election year.

“The sugar import allegations are false and rubbish,” Mr Pinda said at the rally in his constituency. The prime minister was responding to allegations in the electronic media that he received billions of shillings to support his presidential campaign.

“Go ask the devil, not God,” he said. “These allegations are false.”

As the son of a peasant-turned-Catholic catechist, he added, he was a clean man with credible track record. “I have been in the premier’s position for eight years,” he added. “Why do they implicate me today, the year our country will be holding a General Election?”

The Prime Minister denied that he was responsible for issuing sugar import permits and challenged his accusers to present their evidence to the anti-corruption watchdog, Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB).

“There are some people who say that I have received money from (Didas) Masaburi,” he went on. “This is not true. Why should I take money from Masaburi? Someone should substantiate this and I will be ready to be held to account.”

The Citizen yesterday sought further clarification from Mr Pinda but his schedule was too tight for further communication. Early this week, a member of the ruling party who uses the pseudonym Ocampo Four posted allegations accusing Mr Pinda of receiving dubious funds from sugar imports in deals in which the country lost billions of shillings in taxes.

The author of the damning email named Dar es Salaam City Mayor Didas Masaburi as the man in charge of collecting the cash from two sugar importers to support the premier’s presidential campaign.

 The message cites an account number at CRDB Bank that was supposedly used to wire the billions. The Citizen could not independently verify the authenticity of these allegations.

substantial shares owned by the government in sugar processing factories.

But sugar scandals are not new. Former Minister for Industries Iddi Simba resigned in 2002, during the Benjamin Mkapa presidency over issues to do with the sweet imports.

Mr Simba resigned on November 5, 2002, as minister of Industry and Commerce following the report of a Presidential Committee into the Sugar Industry to do with licences for sugar imports. Mr Simba said he had resigned to demonstrate his political maturity and to save the government the risk of a vote of no-confidence in Parliament.

The enquiry followed a motion tabled by the then Kwela MP, Mr Chrisant Mzindakaya, attacking Mr Simba for “indiscriminately” issuing sugar import licences.

CREDIT SOURCE: THE CITIZEN