Zanzibar president scolds anti-graft agency for inaction
Monday August 29 2022
Zanzibar's President Hussein Mwinyi. PHOTO | STATE HOUSE
Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi has warned the anti-graft agency against complacency, accusing it of doing little to support the government curb misappropriation of public funds.
He made the remarks after receiving the Controller and Auditor-General (CAG) report for the 2022/2021 audit, which reveals that Tsh4.6 billion (Sh237 million) was not accounted for by various government entities during the period under review.
According to the report, the Health, Works and Finance ministries were among the top errant entities cited for unexplained use of public funds.
“If we were to be working similarly to the CAG, we wouldn’t have seen this. Zaeca (Zanzibar Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Authority) seems to be of no use as it doesn’t help the government,” Dr Mwinyi said on Saturday.
“Some blunders exposed by the CAG are from the past, before my administration came into office. I therefore urge all responsible parties to make sure that next year’s report will be clean, otherwise you should tender your resignation before I sack you.”
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The audit report cites overpayments, non-contractual payments, payments without actual delivery of services or goods and disregarding the public procurement guidelines as some of the ways government ministries and agencies were embezzling funds.
The President accused Zaeca of inaction, saying no one has been brought to book even from last year’s report.
“Zaeca must evaluate itself, it is not helping us. I have never seen Zaeca take a case to court in these two years of this government's administration,” the President lamented.
In his quest to become the eighth president of the semi-autonomous Tanzanian archipelago in the 2020 general election, Dr Mwinyi had promised to take a tough stance against the corrupt, embezzlers and negligent public officials.
“My plan is to bring quick development to the Isles and therefore, crooked public servants should be extremely intimidated as we are going to clean-up,” he had vowed.