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Buchosa MP defends leaders implicated in corruption
2008-06-25 10:00:44
By Lusekelo Philemon, Dodoma
CCM legislator Samwel Chitalilo yesterday defended all leaders implicated in the country`s widespread grand corruption scams.
Among the key figures he defended include former President Benjamin Mkapa, who had been implicated in a scandal involving the privatisation of Kiwira Coal Mine.
The MP also cleared the ex-Prime Minister Edward Lowassa, who was implicated in the Richmond scam.
He also said that it was waste of time to continue discussing the public figures, like the former Infrastructure Development minister Andrew Chenge, who was forced to resign over the staggering 1.2bn/- he is alleged to possess in a suspicious bank account on Jersey Island in the UK.
The MP appeared to have been irked by the ongoing debate on the external payment arrears (EPA) account of the Bank of Tanzania.
Debating the Prime Minister`s Office budget estimates here yesterday Chitalilo (Buchosa, CCM) said the chamber of the august House was not an ideal place to entertain.
``This is not the place for discussing people`s issues. We are tired of hearing endless stories about former President Mkapa and Kiwira Coal Mine, Richmond and EPA scandals,`` he said.
He explained that Mkapa deserves to be respected due to what he did for this country`s development.
``But people have taken these issues as topical issues every day. We are tired of listening to the same stories; let`s discuss important issues,`` he said.
Chitalilo said the former premier was forced to resign from his post not because he did something wrong, but rather to fulfill the fundaments of democracy.
``He did not do anything wrong. He was forced to resign because it was necessary that he should take responsibility,`` he said.
The legislator also said that Parliament was not an ideal place to discuss matters related to witchcraft.
``I wonder why people here like to discuss witchcraft related issues, which are unnecessary to the people who brought us here,`` he said, before being intervened by Speaker of the National Assembly Samwel Sitta.
The Speaker asked MP Chitalilo, himself linked to charges over certificate forgery allegations, to confine his comments to the relevant subject matter.
Some experts in political matters however took the MP`s assertions as one way of clearing the image of the said figures before the public.
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