UKWELI KUHUSU KUTIMULIWA KWA MANJI QUALITY PLAZA HUU HAPA

Na Daniel Mbega

Jana, Desemba 3, 2016 Jeshi la Polisi Kanda Maalum ya Dar es Salaam lilisimamia wakati kampuni ya udalali ya Yono Auction Mart ikizihamisha kwa nguvu kampuni zinazomilikiwa na mfanyabiashara Yusuf Manji katika jengo la Quality Plaza, Kitalu Na. 189/2 Barabara ya Nyerere jijini Dar es Salaam baada ya kampuni hizo kushindwa kulipa malimbikizo ya kodi ya pango yanayofikia Shs. 13 bilioni.

Uamuzi wa kuzihamisha kwa nguvu kampuni hizo kutoka kwenye jengo hilo mali ya Mfuko wa Pesheni wa Watumishi wa Umma – PSPF ulikuja baada ya wahusika kushindwa kuhama kwa hiari kama walivyotakiwa baada ya kupewa saa 24 na wamiliki wake.

Kampuni zilizohamishwa hapo, ambazo zinamilikiwa na mfanyabiashara Manji – japo amejitoa kwenye uenyekiti Julai 15, 2016 ni Quality Group Company Limited, Gaming Management Limited, Q-Consult Limited, Quality Logistics Company Limited, na International Transit Investment Limited.

Barua ya Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa PSPF, Adam H. Mayingu, ya Desemba 2, 2016 kwenda kwa Kamanda wa Polisi Kanda Maalum ya Dar es Salaam inaeleza kwamba kesi ilikwishaamuliwa na wahusika wanatakiwa kuhama mara moja.

"Tunakuandikia kukueleza kuwa PSPF kama wamiliki wa jengo na wamiliki wa hati tumemteua YONO AUCTION MART AND CO. LTD kumhamisha Quality Group Limited kutoka kwenye jengo hilo Desemba 4, 2016. Tunaomba msaada wako katika zoezi la kumhamisha," ilisema barua hiyo.

Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Kampuni ya Yono, Scholastika Kevela ambao ndio watekelezaji wa kazi hiyo alisema, walitoa notisi ya saa 24 waliyoibandika juzi kwenye ofisi hiyo wakiwataka waondoke wenyewe kabla ya amri hiyo halali ya Mahakama haijaisha ifikapo leo asubuhi.

“Quality Group na wenzake wanne wanatakiwa kuondoka na sisi leo(jana) tumekuja kuwaondoa na ndio unaona wanapakia vitu vyao na kuondoka, wanadaiwa Dola Milioni 601 sawa na Sh Bilioni 13, ambazo kila mara akiambiwa alipe amekuwa akikimbilia mahakamani zaidi ya miaka 10 sasa”,alisema Kevela.

Alisema Mfuko wa PSPF,unaidai Kampuni ya Quality Group fedha hizo za upangaji, lakini kila anapotakiwa kulipa amekuwa akigoma na kukimbilia mahakamani kuweka pingamizi la kulipa ili aendelee kukaa bure na kwamba uamuzi wa Mahakama Kuu uliotolewa Novemba 24, umemtaka aondoke ndani ya saa 24 na kulipa deni analodaiwa.

“Tulikuja kubandika tangazo la hukumu hiyo la kumtaka aondoke mwenyewe kwenye jengo hilo lakini akawa anachana na watu wake na sisi tukaongeza watu wetu kulinda na sasa ameanza kutoa mali zake na hadi kesho anapaswa awe amemamliza,”alisema Kevela.

Alisema pamoja na kutoa vitu vyake ndani ya jengo hilo amepewa muda wa siku 14 kisheria awe amelipa deni hilo na kama atashindwa kulipa mali zake zitakamatwa na kuuzwa ili kupata fedha za kulipa deni analodaiwa na PSPF.

Novemba 24, 2016 Mahakama Kuu Kitengo cha Ardhi, mbele ya Jaji J. S. MGETTA, ilitoa hukumu ya kesi nne ambazo ziliwahusisha walalamikaji na walalamikiwa wale wale katika eneo moja, ambapo pamoja na mambo mengine, ilitupilia mbali madai yote ya walalamikaji katika kesi tatu na kuyatupa madai mengine katika kesi ya nne.

Walalamikaji katika kesi hizo nne walitaka walipwe fidia ya jumla ya Dola 38,847009.58 pamoja na Shs. 900,000,000, lakini baada ya kuyatupa madai hayo, mbali ya kukubali walalamikaji walipwe Shs. 100,000,000 tu na kila upande kubeba gharama za kesi, Mahakama iliagiza walalamikaji hao waondoke mara moja kwenye jengo la Quality Plaza, sasa PSPF Plaza, mali ya Mfuko wa Pensheni wa Watumishi wa Umma – PSPF.

Kesi hizo za ardhi Na. 33/2009, Na. 40/2011, Na. 59 ya 2012, na Na. 77/2012 zilihusisha kampuni tano zilizo chini ya mfanyabiashara Yusuf Manji – japo ametangaza kujitoa kwenye uenyekiti na kubakia kuwa mshauri – ambazo ni Quality Group Company Limited, Gaming Management Limited, Q-Consult Limited, Quality Logistics Company Limited, na International Transit Investment Limited ambazo zilikuwa walalamikaji kwa upande mmoja, dhidi ya walalamikiwa Image Properties and Estate Limited, Quality Plaza Limited, Yohana H. Malundo ambaye ni Mfilisi wa Quality Plaza Limited na Bodi ya Wadhamini ya Mfuko wa Hifadhi ya Jamii wa Watumishi wa Umma – PSPF.

Katika Shauri la Ardhi Na. 33 la 2009, walalamikaji Namba 1 na Namba 3 - Quality Group Company Limited na Quality Logistics Company Limited - walikuwa wanaiomba mahakama imwamuru mshtakiwa namba moja Image Properties and Estate Limited awalipe jumla ya Dola za Marekani 1,508,324.16 kutokana na kuvunja mkataba na usumbufu, lakini pia fedha hizo ziongezwe na riba ya asilimia 21 ya kiwango cha sasa cha ubadilishaji fedha.

Katika Shauri la Ardhi Na. 40 la mwaka 2011, walalamikaji Quality Group Company Limited na Q-Consult Limited walikuwa wanaomba walipwe na mshtakiwa Namba 2 Quality Plaza Limited jumla ya Dola 3,000,000 za fidia na kuvunjwa kwa mkataba.

Aidha, katika Shauri la Ardhi Na. 59 la mwaka 2012, mlalamikaji wa kwanza Quality Group Company Limited alikuwa anaiomba Mahakama imwamuru mshtakiwa Namba 1 Image Properties and Estate Limited pamoja na mambo mengine amlipe jumla ya Shs. 900,000,000 kutokana na usumbufu na hasara.

Kwenye Shauri la Ardhi Na. 77 la mwaka 2012, walalamikaji namba 1, 2 na 4 - yaani Quality Group Company Limited, Gaming Management Limited na Quality Logistics Company Limited pamoja na mambo mengine, walikuwa wanaiomba Mahakama kuwaamuru washtakiwa wote wanne - Image Properties and Estate Limited, Quality Plaza Limited, Yohana H. Malundo ambaye ni Mfilisi wa Quality Plaza Limited na Bodi ya Wadhamini ya Mfuko wa Hifadhi ya Jamii wa Watumishi wa Umma - PSPF - jumla ya Dola 34,338,685.42 kutokana na usumbufu pamoja na mambo mengine.

Katika mashauri hayo yote, walalamikaji waliwakilishwa na wakili msomi Arwa Yusufu wakati walalamikiwa waliwakilishwa na Benitho Mandele, Rwehumbiza, Mweletwa na Chaula, mbele ya Jaji J.S. Mgetta.

Katika hukumu yake, ambayo ilisainiwa na Mhe. F.H. Mahimbali, Naibu Msajili wa mahakama hiyo, Mahakama iliyatupilia mbali madai ya fidia yote katika kesi tatu Na. 33/2009, Na. 40/2011 na Na. 77/2012 yanayofikia jumla ya Dola 38,847009.58 na Shs. 900,000,000 ambayo yameshindwa kuthibitishwa uhalali wake.

Hata hivyo, Mahakama hiyo imekubaliana na sehemu ya madai ya fidia katika Shauri Na. 59 la 2012 na kuamuru kwamba Mshtakiwa wa Kwanza ama Mshtakiwa wa Pili amlipe mlalamikaji Namba 1 kiasi cha Shs. 100,000,000 kama fidia ya hasara huku kila upande ukibeba gharama za uendeshaji wa kesi.

Aidha, Mahakama imeagiza kwamba walalamikaji wote wanatakiwa kuondoka mara moja kwenye jengo husika kwa sababu wamekiuka agano kuu la kulipa kodi na gharama mbalimbali na kuagiza kwamba, kwa vile walalamikiwa walikuwa hawajawasilisha kiasi halisi ambacho walalamikaji wanadaiwa kama kodi, basi pande hizo mbili zikakokotoe hesabu kamili na wahusika walipe.

Itakumbukwa kwamba, Desemba 22, 2010, gazeti la Tanzania Daima liliwahi kuripoti kwamba mfanyabiashara maarufu nchini Yusuf Manji alikuwa amepewa Notisi ya saa 48 na Mfuko wa Pensheni kwa Watumishi wa Umma (PSPF), kuhama katika jengo la Quality Plaza Complex lililoko Kitalu Na. 189/2 Barabara ya Nyerere jijini Dar es Salaam ambalo ni mali ya PSPF na Manji ni mpangaji anadaiwa kukiuka masharti ya mkataba wa upangishwaji kwa kushindwa kulipa kodi.

Wakili wa PSPF, Benitho Mandele, alisema katika barua yake yenye kumbukumbu namba DLA/IMAGE/2010/12 kwenda kwa Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Quality Group Limited, Manji alikuwa anadaiwa kodi ya kuanzia Aprili, 2009 hadi Desemba 2010, hivyo jumla ya deni lote lilikuwa Dola 2,335,189.06 za Marekani. Barua hiyo ya Notisi ilikwenda kwenda kwa Mkurugenzi wa Quality Group Limited, Gaming Management Limited, Quality Ligistics Co. Limited, International Transit Ivestment Limited na Q-Consult Limited, ambapo Manji alipewa nakala ya barua hiyo kama Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Makampuni ya Quality Group Limited.

Lakini taarifa zinaeleza kwamba, Manji ndiye aliyewauzia PSPF jengo hilo kwa gharama ya Shs. 36 bilioni ikiwa ni thamani iliyo mara 10 ya bei halisi.

Jambo la kusikitisha ni kwamba, PSPF hawakuwa na hati ya ardhi ya jengo hilo la Quality Plaza. Ushahidi wa maelezo ni huu hapa wa habari ambazo ziliwahi kuripotiwa na magazeti;

Despite paying billions, PSPF doesn`t fully own Quality Plaza

THISDAY REPORTER

Dar es Salaam

THE Public Service Pensions Fund does not own the land where Quality Plaza is located despite paying a staggering 36bn/- for the property, THISDAY can now reveal.

Instead, the pensions fund was given only partial ownership of some of the sub-titles tied up to the property located along Nyerere Road in Dar es Salaam. Our investigations have revealed that the Quality Plaza building has a total of 11 certificates of title.

The titles are for separate parts of the ground floor, mezzanine, first and second floors only.

In a highly unusual move, PSPF agreed to pay through the nose for the building, only to end up with nine of the 11 sub-titles for the property and two of the sub-titles to the building belong to a ‘mystery’ owner.

This means that despite paying a staggering 36bn/- for the two-storey Quality Plaza, PSPF does not own the main title. Furthermore, the pensions fund does not also own some parts of the building.

Under the share purchase agreement, PSPF agreed to partial ownership of the building although it paid a staggering amount for the property.

"The building on Plot No. 189/2, Nyerere Road, Dar es Salaam is subdivided into 11 ‘Certificates of Title(s)’ of which 2 are not owned by the vendors and which therefore are acknowledged by both -- the vendors and the purchaser -- that they do not form part of this agreement nor represented as that which is here-in referred to as the property," says the share purchase agreement.

The agreement was signed on November 19, 2004, by the PSPF Director-General, Ms Hawa Mmanga, and the pensions fund legal officer, Mr Ngabo Patrick Ibrahim. The Chief Executive Officer of Quality Group Limited, Yusuf Manji, and the company?s director for corporate affairs, Rakesh Mehta, represented the sellers.

The pensions fund paid a total of 36bn/- for the purchase of 100 per cent of the shares in a company known as ‘Quality Plaza Limited’, which owns the sub-titles to the property. Surprisingly, instead of buying just the property alone, PSPF bought an entire company, which means that it risks covering all outstanding taxation liabilities for the company.

If the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) carries out a new assessment on previous tax liabilities for Quality Plaza Limited, PSPF would have to meet these costs.

The pensions fund is also liable to pay the terminal benefits of employees of the private company that it has taken over.

The deal, which has been described as ‘a disaster’ by financial experts, implies that the PSPF has now walked into unknown liabilities. Our investigations revealed that the former owners of Quality Plaza Limited pushed up the value of their company from 30bn/- to 36bn/- just a few days before the sale was made.

Prior to the deal, shareholders of Quality Plaza Limited were listed as Quality Group Limited (95 per cent) and Mr Mehboob Manji (5 per cent).

Our investigations show that Quality Plaza Limited filed a notice of increase in the nominal capital to 36bn/- on November 10, 2004. A few days later, PSPF hurriedly bought the company for the exact 36bn/- in a cobbled up transaction.

Sources close to the deal say the pensions fund was in a hurry to conclude the deal -- it ordered valuation to be done within just one week and signed the share purchase agreement just a week after receiving the valuation report.

Source: THISDAY archives, 2006

Now Manji prays for out of court settlement

By Edwin Agola

25th December 2010

Quality Group director Yusuf Manji has asked Temeke Land tribunal in Dar es Salaam to suspend hearing of a chamber application against Image Properties that was lined up for hearing yesterday and now prefers amicable settlement out of court.

Manji's counsel, Joseph Thadayo, appearing for Quality Group, told tribunal chairman Mlyambina Kaare in the city that his client had promised to settle rent accruals totalling 5bn/- by January 31, 2011.

But advocate Benitho Mandele from Destiny Law Attorneys for Image Properties, when reached for comment, said he had written a letter seeking clarification on the mode of payment.

"I have written a letter to Yusuf Manji asking to be told how the debt would be sorted out, and if by January 8 there will be no response, we have instructed Majembe Auction Mart to execute the 48-hour notice to forcibly evict Manji from Quality Plaza premises without further notice," said Mandele.

Quality Group had filed a chamber application with the tribunal asking it to jail Image Properties managing director for contempt of court.

Image Properties, through its lawyer Mandele, filed a counter affidavit seeking legal redress because the said chamber application was marred with incurable irregularities, following which the tribunal on Monday, struck out part of the application, which was set for hearing yesterday.

On November 19, 2004 Manji sold Quality Plaza located along Nyerere road to the Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF) for 36bn/-, according to sales documents availed to The Guardian, but decided to occupy one-third of the building on the understanding that he would pay a monthly rent of 300m/-, which he has failed to honour, to date.

The property was acquired using the fund members' contributions and now the pensioners cannot be paid their dues due to this debt, according to Mandele.

On Monday PSPF slapped Manji with a 48-hour notice to vacate the Quality Plaza complex for failure to pay 3.5bn/- in unpaid rent covering the period from April 2009 to date, following which he now seeks to settle the matter out of court.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Aidha, ikumbukwe pia kwamba, mnamo Juni 4, 2012, Mfuko wa Pensheni ya Watumishi wa Umma - PSPF, ulimtaka kwa mara nyingine mfanyabiashara Yusuf Manji kuhama mara moja katika jengo la Quality Plaza. Wakati huo Manji alikuwa anadaiwa na PSPF karibu Shs. bilioni 5, ambazo ni malimbikizo ya kodi ya pango.

Kwa muda mrefu Manji alikuwa akitajwa kufanya biashara zenye utata na mifuko ya hifadhi za jamii na alifanikiwa kuiuzia PSPF jengo la Quality Plaza na Mufuko wa Hifadhi ya Jamii (NSSF) kuiuzua maghala ya Urafiki - Ubungo kwa Shs. 46 bilioni ambayo aliyajenga kwa mkopo wa Shs. 9 bilioni kutoka mfuko huo huo.

Uamuzi wa PSPF kumhamisha Manji wakati huo ulifikiwa Ijumaa ya Aprili 1, 2011 baada ya mfuko huo kubanwa na Wabunge wa Kamati Hesabu za Mashirika ya Umma (POAC), iliyokuwa ikiongozwa na aliyekuwa Mbunge wa Kigoma Kaskazini (Chadema), Zitto Kabwe.

Katika barua ya PSPF kwenda kwa kampuni ya Image Properties & Estate inayosimamia uendeshaji wa Quality Plaza, mfuko huo uliitaka kampuni ya Quality Group Limited kuondoka mara moja katika jengo hilo vinginevyo hatua kali za kisheria zingechukuliwa. Muda mfupi nyuma, Quality Group Limited ilikuwa imeiomba Mahakama kuzuia kuondolewa kwao katika jengo hilo, maombi ambayo muda wake ulishakwisha lakini PSPF wakawa wanachelewa kuchukua hatua huku taasisi hiyo ikiwa na hali mbaya ya kifedha kiasi cha serikali kuombwa na POAC kuinusuru kwa kuwekeza zaidi.

Makampuni mengine ya Manji yaliyomo katika jengo hilo ni pamoja na kampuni aliyoichukua kwa Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) katika mazingira tata ya Gaming Management Limited, Quality Ligistics Co. Limited, International Transit Ivestment Limited na Q-Consult Limited.

HII NDIYO NOTISI ALIYOPEWA KUHAMA KWA HIARI