Malinzi faces new charges as two more officials join

THE Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) yesterday substituted new charge sheet into fraud and money laundering trial against former senior officials with Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), adding two more accused persons and two counts of conspiracy and abuse of office.

Accused persons joined are Miriam Zayumba, who was TFF Office Manager and Flora Rauya, the Clerk with the Federation.

Before Principal Resident Magistrate Wilbard Mashauri at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam, the two and other accused persons denied the new charges.

It was lucky for the two accused persons as the DPP could not charge them with unbailable offence of money laundering under which other officials, ex- TFF President Jamal Malinzi, his Secretary General Mwesigwa Selestine and Accounts Officer Nsiande Mwanga, are facing.

Under such circumstances, advocate Emmanuel Muga, for the two accused persons, pressed for bail as the offences of forging some receipts for some payments they are fac- ing are bailable.

The magistrate granted the advocate’s request and decided to release them on bail. The magistrate, however, took into consideration the al- leged involvement of each of the two accused persons in the commission of the offences as claimed by the prosecution in the charge sheet.

He granted bail to Flora on condition of secur- ing two reliable sureties, who each signed a bond of 20m/-. On part of Miriam, the magistrate ordered her to secure two sureties, who were each re- quired to sign a bond of 100m/-.

One of the surety, according to the magistrate, was directed to deposit in court a title deed of immovable property certified at more than 100m/-. Miriam failed to fulfil such conditions and her case comes today for further bail consid- erations.

For the rest of the accused, the matter was adjourned to May 2, for mention before taking off of the hearing of the trial on May 14.

The charge sheet indicates that the new counts involve Malinzi and Se- lestine only. In total, all accused persons are facing 30 counts of con- spiracy (Malinzi and Selestine), abuse of office (Malinzi and Selestine), 11 counts of forgery (Malinzi, Selestine, Miriam and Flora), uttering false documents (Selestine) and 12 counts of obtaining money by false pre- tences (Malinzi). Others are four charges of money laundering (Malinzi, Selestine and Mwanga).

Before adjournment of the trial, the court conducted preliminary hearing after the prosecution had announced that investiga- tions into the matter have been completed.


During the session, the prosecution, led by Senior State Attorney Shadrack Kimaro and two officials from the Preven- tion and Combatting of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) Leonard Swai and Upendo Temu, pre- sented more facts showing how each of the accused persons committed the offence.

Adducing such facts, the prosecution alleged that TFF holds and operates six accounts at Stanbic Bank Tanzania Limit- ed and that Edgar Masoud, who was TFF Director of Finance and Accounting was one of the signatory of such accounts.

With the view to change the signatory to such accounts, the prosecution told the court that on September 1, 2016, Seles- tine presented to the Bank, Centre Branch, a resolution dated June 5, 2016, purportedly made by TFF Executive Committee.

It is alleged that with such resolution, Masoud was re- placed by Mwanga. The pros- ecution alleged that such resolution was not an outcome of the Committee, but was forged by Malinzi and Selestine. After Selestine had introduced Mwanga to the Bank as their newly appointed signatory, she was recognised as TFF sig- natory and was involved in signing cheques, payment vouchers and other payment documents.

On the other hand, according to the prosecution, for the time spanning from June 1, to December 31, 2016, Malinzi was raising false receipts on pretext that TFF had borrowed money from him. Miriam, who was TFF Office Manager and Flora were the ones who were writing the said receipts.

The prosecution alleged further that the two accused per- sons did so notwithstanding the fact that they had not received money stated in the receipt from Malinzi. In the strength of the said false receipt, Malinzi was reclaiming payments, it is alleged.