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...as Karamagi, Msabaha follow suit
2008-02-08 09:07:56
By Guardian Reporters
Just hours after Prime Minister Edward Lowassa announced his intention to resign over the Richmond scandal, two cabinet ministers told the House yesterday evening that they were also following suit.
Minister for Energy and Minerals Nazir Karamagi and Minister for East African Cooperation Dr. Ibrahim Msabaha had also been implicated in the scandal.
Findings of the committee, formed last year to investigate circumstances which led the government enter into a power generating contract with Richmond Development Company LLC in 2006 indicated the two ministers among the key players who facilitated the costly but dubious transactions, which has cost the country billions of shillings.
Announcing his decision, Karamagi said he was transferred to the ministry of Energy in October 2006, six months after the contract had been sealed.
He, however, said by that time it was too late to terminate the contract as Richmond could have taken the government to court for breaching the agreement.
Karamagi said the government signed the agreement in god faith because the country was facing power problems.
However, he admitted that they later discovered that Richmond was not a genuine company.
Karamagi said he had formally requested President Kikwete to relieve him of his duties.
Dr Msabaha, who was the minister for Energy when the contract was signed, said Prime Minister Edward Lowassa had shown the way.
He said as principles of collective responsibility demanded that he should also step down to pay for mistakes that might have been made by his subordinates.
The probe team`s report was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday by Committee Chairman Harrison Mwakyembe.
It recommended a number of measures, including taking to task all those implicated in the scandal.
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