The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) in Rombo District, Kilimanjaro Region has arraigned in court five district council officials for a economic sabotage crime.

The five were also accused of causing to the government a loss amounting to over Sh29.9 million.

The accused who appeared before Kilimanjaro Resident Magistrate Court yesterday to answer the charges are Rombo acting executive director Elias Mshana who was also council’s engineer, the council’s Treasurer Emanuel Shija, accountant Erick Barongo,the council’s primary education officer Joseph Ngoseki and assistant procurement officer Rahel Mshangila.

It was stated before Magistrate in Charge Mariam Lusewa by PCCB Prosecutor Maghela Ndimbo that the five officials were accused of misuse of public office, an offence that was against the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau Act, Act No.11/ 2007.

The PCCB prosecutor claimed that the accused persons, together committed the offences between September and October in 2007 while being employees of Rombo District Council.

It was stated that the accused persons violated the procurement rules during the purchasing of teaching and learning materials that were worth Sh29.9 million, something that was not true.

The prosecutor said by inflating the prices of the education material, they enabled Magoma Agencies, a firm hired to bring the materials, to accrue illegal super profit, causing the government to suffer loss.

Each of the accused was given bail condition of having two sureties, one of who was to sign a bond valued at Sh3 million. Also, each accused person was required to pay Sh 3 million or have a fixed asset worth Sh3 million as part of the bond.

Until this newspaper left the court premises close to mid-day, all the accused were yet to meet bail condition.