Speaker Anne Makinda

Speaker Anne Makinda yesterday named five members of the subcommittee which will investigate corruption allegations against some legislators.

Makinda named Brig Gen (retired) Hassan Ngwilizi (Mlalo - CCM) the subcommittee chairperson and John Chiligati (Manyoni- East - CCM), Riziki Omar Juma (Special seats- CUF), Said Amour Arfi (Mpanda Urban - Chadema) and Gosbert Blandes (Karagwe - CCM) as members.

She said after consulting Ngwilizi who is the chairman of the parliamentary committee for privileges, ethics and powers, they agreed that the matter should be handled as per section 114 (18) of the Parliamentary Standing Orders.

According to the section any Parliamentary committee can form a subcommittee for implementation of its activities and each committee will be assigned duties by the responsible parliamentary committee.

She said the terms of reference for the subcommittee included investigating and advising the Speaker if the corruption allegations against some members of parliament and of the parliamentary committee for energy and minerals were true or false.

“The subcommittee will be required to go through the parliamentary official report (Hansard) of July 27 and 28 this year when the budget for the ministry of Energy and Minerals was tabled to get the picture of how the debate was conducted,” Makinda said.

It will also summon and interrogate witnesses to help it to establish the truth of the allegations.

Makinda named some MPs who are lined up for interrogation as Opposition Chief Whip Tundu Lissu, Energy and Minerals minister Sospeter Muhongo, all MPs who contributed to the Energy and Minerals Budget estimates and any other MPs who can assist the committee in its investigation.

The Speaker however called on the committee to abide by the country’s constitution, laws and parliamentary regulations.

Meanwhile NCCR-Mageuzi MPs have written to the Speaker to protest the appointment of Gosbert Blandes into the subcommittee, saying he was allegedly among the MPs who were convincing others to reject the budget estimates of the ministry of energy and minerals because the tender granted to Puma Energy to supply heavy fuel to Tanesco violated Public Procurement Act.

The letter dated August 2 and signed by Moses Machali the secretary of the NCCR-Mageuzi MPs said there was a possibility that MP Blandes would not do justice to other MPs especially those against him. There was no immediate reaction from the Speaker’s Office.

Last week Speaker of the National Assembly Anne Makinda dissolved the parliamentary standing committee for energy and minerals following the allegations of its members being involved in corruption practices.