Tanzanian President suspends ports authority chief over graft queries

DAR ES SALAAM, March 30, (Xinhua/GNA) – Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Sunday suspended the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) Director General Deusdedit Kakoko to pave way for investigations over embezzlement of public funds.

Hassan announced the decision shortly after she received the 2019/2020 audit reports from the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) which indicated that at least 3.6 billion Tanzanian shillings (about 1.55 million U.S. dollars) of funds were misappropriated at TPA.

President Hassan immediately ordered the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau to investigate how the funds were embezzled to take it as an urgent case.

“I will stand firm in ensuring prudent management of public resources. I will also stand firm in the fight against corruption,” Hassan said in her statement at Chamwino State House in the capital Dodoma.

The CAG reports also revealed mismanagement of public funds in local governments and unexplained business losses of the national airline Air Tanzania Company Limited.

GNA