Three more fail bail test in EPA scam

Attemps to secure bail by three of the 20 accused persons in the External Payments Arrears (EPA) accounts scam hit a snag yesterday when all three failed to meet the set bail conditions again.

Bahati John Mahenge, Manase Hezekia Mwakale and his wife Eddah Nkoma Mwakale were brought before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court for bail consideration, but were returned into remand custody until today when they appear for preliminary hearing of their case.

The accused were each required to deposit in court 240m/- in cash or surrender a title deed of immovable property with the market value of the said amount. All three had brought with them the title deeds as initially required, but then the magistrate informed the accused that the title deeds had to be verified first.

Resident Magistrate Waliarwande Lema also directed that such verifications should be made by government valuers, and that such verifications should satisfy the court that the materials properties in the titles did not have any encumbrances. The other accused, Davies Magnus Kamungu and Godfrey Herry Mosha, who are enjoined in one case, are out on bail after meeting their set bail conditions.

In their cases, the accused are facing a total of 15 counts. They are charged with conspiracy, forgery, making false statements, obtaining registration by false pretences, uttering false documents, theft of over 2bn/- and an alternative count of obtaining credit by false pretences. Another 15 accused persons are still in remand, also for failure after failing to meet bail conditions.

They are Mwesiga Rutakyamilwa Lukaza and his younger brother, Johnson, who are charged with, among other counts, the theft of over 6bn/- from the Bank of Tanzania (BoT). The rest are tycoon Jayantkumar Chandubhai Patel, alias Jeetu Patel, Devendra Vinodbhai Patel, Amit Nandy and Ketan Chohan – all of whom are charged with stealing over 21bn/-, conspiracy, forgery and obtaining credit by false pretences.

Others are Marijala Shaban Hussein, Rajab Shaban Maranda, Japhet Laiyandumi Lema, who are charged with conspiracy, forgery, uttering false documents, obtaining credit by false pretences and stealing over 10bn/- from the Central Bank. The rest are BoT officials Ester Mary Komu, the Acting Director of Debt Department,

Imani David Akim Mwakosya, the Head of Bilateral and Commercial Debt Division and two Acting Secretaries to the bank, Bosco Ndimbo Kimola and Sophia Joseph Lakila. They are charged with, among other counts, occasioning loss to the government of over 2.5bn/- through their negligence. The last group are Ajay Suryakant Somani and his younger brother Jai Chhotalal Somani, also charged with stealing 5bn/-.