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Zanzibar govt probes ghost workers scam
2006-02-27 09:42:06
By Mwinyi Sadallah, Zanzibar
Zanzibar Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has suspended all staff in the finance department in Pemba for allegedly embezzling millions of shillings by paying salaries to ghost workers.
Health Minister Sultan Mohammed Mugheiry told reporters yesterday that the decision was made to create room for thorough investigations into the scam.
Chief Accountant Ramadhan Kapanya and his assistants were among the officials affected by the suspension, according to the minister.
Investigations into the scam to be conducted by the ministry and the police will involve all former employees of the ministry who have been transferred to other government departments.
’The exercise has just started. Financial experts from the ministry who were transferred to other government departments will also be investigated,’ said the minister.
When he revealed the financial scam last week, the minister insisted that the police were free to visit the ministry at any time to carry out investigations.
’They (police) can come and interrogate any official suspected to be linked with theft of the money,’ said Mugheiry.
The government has been losing 21.6m/- monthly through salaries paid to 251 ghost workers.
A four-man committee has been commissioned to investigate the salaries scam.
’Investigations to expose ghost workers will continue even at the ministry’s head office in Unguja,’ said the minister.
Isles Deputy Director of Intelligence Ramadhan Kinyogo, commented that investigations were progressing well and the embezzlers would be taken to court soon.
East Pemba Regional Commissioner Daido Fakih Dadi, said a similar scam is suspected to be taking place in his office and urged ministry officials to provide a comprehensive report on the matter.
This is the second time the Health ministry has come under probe for theft of a similar nature.
In 2003, a similar scam was uncovered through the personal efforts of former permanent secretary Omar Sheha Musa, who is now a Union Member of Parliament for Chumbuni.
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