Tanzanian linked to Sh11.4bn ivory haul

 

Tuesday
May 26,  2015

By Angira Zadock

Posted  Tuesday, May 26   2015 at  10:42

In Summary

Investigations show that the Tanzanian, a senior Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) staff and a government official were behind the contraband. Also being sought are two brothers, Mr Samuel Jefwa and Mr Nicholas Jefwa, who are officials of Potential Quality Services, the company that exported the container in which the contraband was shipped.

Nairobi. Police are hunting for a Tanzanian who had rented a house in Nyali, Mombasa, in connection with the Sh11.4bn (Ksh570m) ivory haul seized in Singapore last week.

Investigations show that the Tanzanian, a senior Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) staff and a government official were behind the contraband. Also being sought are two brothers, Mr Samuel Jefwa and Mr Nicholas Jefwa, who are officials of Potential Quality Services, the company that exported the container in which the contraband was shipped.

The two have been exporting 40-foot containers disguised as tea consignments since last year.

“The two prime suspects are still at large. However, efforts to locate them have been intensified through the inter-forum agencies dealing with this matter, including the National Police Service,” said Ms Maureen Njongo, the KRA spokesperson. The Tanzanian has rented the house since 2013.

However, a rental agent associated with the house told detectives that the tenant had not provided any identification documents. He would pay his rent in cash and was never issued with any receipts, he said.

A senior police officer involved in the investigations on Monday said the two brothers are suspected to have fled to unknown destinations through Uganda.

“Their mobile phones were active and were last used at the Busia border. We, however, do not rule out the possibility that they could be in the country,” he said. KRA has also written to both Interpol, Singapore and Thailand to assist its investigations into the case.

Detectives have, for the second time, interrogated staff at Siginon Freight in Shimanzi, Mombasa, where it was established that the initial cargo, blended tea, was packed into 220 bags on April 19.

The two containers then left Siginon on April 19 and 20 and arrived at the port for loading onto the vessels Cape Moss and Cape Madrid, respectively.

On April 27 and May 19, the illegal consignments of ivory and rhino horns were seized in Thailand and Singapore, respectively.

Potential Quality Services made arrangements for transporting the containers and it has been established that Mr Nicholas Jefwa gave Siginon the blending instructions from the shipper, Almasi Chai (Kenya).

However, the documents releasing the containers were signed by his brother, Samuel.

The two lorries used to ferry the cargo, registration numbers KNY 944 and KSM 783, were also impounded in Mikindani and later moved to the customs warehouse.
“The owner of the two trucks has also recorded a second statement further to the one earlier statement made at Port Police,” Ms Njongo said.

Wako wapi vigogo 40 wa ujangili aliowazungumzia Kikwete?

Makala

Nizar Visram

Toleo la 404

6 May 2015

SHIRIKA la Hifadhi za Taifa nchini Tanzania (Tanapa) limekanusha ripoti iliyotolewa na shirika la ITV nchini Uingereza inayosema idadi ya tembo imekuwa ikipungua katika mbuga yetu ya Ruaha.
ITV imetoa ripoti inayosema tembo wanauliwa kwa wingi nchini Tanzania, hasa katika mbuga ya Ruaha ambako idadi ya tembo imepungua kutoka 8,500 mwaka 2014 hadi 4,200 hivi sasa. Ripoti inasema sababu ya kupungua kwa tembo ni ujangili
Ripoti hiyo ni matokeo ya zoezi la miaka miwili la kuhesabu idadi ya tembo katika mbuga za Afrika kwa kutumia ndege maalumu.
Tanapa imesema haikuarifiwa kuhusu zoezi hili la kuhesabu tembo. Ikaongeza kuwa hata hivyo wanyamapori huwa wanahamahama kutoka sehemu moja kwenda sehemu nyingine. Yaani kupugua kwao si lazima iwe kwa sababu ya ujangili
Wakati Tanapa inakanusha ripoti ya ITV, miaka miwili iliyopita Wizara ya Maliasili na Utalii ilitoa takwimu ikisema nusu ya tembo 20,000 wanaouawa katika Afrika nusu yake wanauliwa Tanzania. Kwa maneno mengine tembo 10,000 wanauawa na majangili kila mwaka. Matokeo yake idadi ya tembo imepungua kutoka 130,000 miaka kumi iliyopita hadi 70,000 mwaka 2013.
Naye Waziri wa Maliasili na Utalii, Lazaro Nyalandu, aliziomba nchi za Kiasia kupiga marufuku biashara ya pembe za ndovu ili kuzuia ujangili katika nchi yetu
Nadhani Nyalandu angepaswa pia kuuliza inakuwaje pembe hizi zinatoka nchini mwetu. Nani anawajibika au anawajibishwa? Suali hili si gumu kulijibu
Kwani mara nyingi tunapozungumzia ujangili na majangili tunasahau kuwa haiwezekani kwa biashara hii ya kimataifa kuendeshwa bila ya matajiri wakubwa, bila ya vigogo wa ujangili ambao wanafadhili na kugharamia wizi huu wa maliasili yetu
Jambo hili linaeleweka vizuri. Ndio maana serikali imesema mara kadha kuwa haitasita kuwataja hadharani vigogo wanaofadhili na kusafirisha pembe za ndovu kwa njia ya kificho. Waziri Nyalandu mwenyewe amesema hayo tangu alipokuwa Naibu Waziri.
Alisema mpango huo wa kuwaumbua watu wanaofadhili ujangili ama kusafirisha meno ya tembo, utakolezwa na mbinu mpya za kiintelijensia ambazo zitatumika katika ‘Operesheni Uhai’.
Suali la kujiuliza ni, je baada ya hiyo operesheni serikali imewaelewa vigogo hao? Je imeweza kuwakamata? Jibu analo Nyalandu.
“Wanaofadhili shughuli za ujangili tutawatangaza majina yao hadharani katika kukabiliana na tatizo hili. Lakini pia wageni wote watakaokamatwa nchini kutokana na ujangili tutawafukuza ndani ya saa 24 tena watapaswa kulipa nauli za ndege kwa gharama zao baada ya kutumikia adhabu watakazopata kwa mujibu wa sheria,” alisema Nyalandu.
Je Nyalandu aliwatangaza? Je, ni wageni wangapi wa aina hiyo wametumikia adhabu na kisha kufukuzwa nchi?
Nyalandu akaongeza kuwa wimbi la ujangili nchini limekuwa kubwa kutokana na majangili hao kusaidiwa na baadhi ya maofisa na wafanyakazi walioko kwenye vitengo vya ulinzi na usalama, kwa kuwa suala zima la usafirishaji wa pembe za ndovu hauwezi kuvuka kwenye mikoa husika pamoja na hifadhi zetu hadi kwenda bandarini wasikamatwe au kufahamika kama baadhi ya watendaji hawausiki.
Je ni maofisa wangapi wa aina hiyo wamefikishwa mahakamani na wangapi wamehukumiwa kifungo cha jela na mali zao kufilisiwa? Au Nyalandu anaishia kutoa ahadi tu?
Kuhusu suala la vigogo wa ujangili, haya yalisemwa tangu 2013 na Mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya Kudumu ya Bunge ya Maliasili na Utalii, James Lembeli. Alisema kuna kila dalili kwamba baadhi ya vigogo serikalini wanahusika na biashara ya meno ya tembo nchini.
Akatoa mfano wa watu tisa waliokamatwa na meno ya tembo, wawili kati yao wakiwa polisi wa kituo cha Oysterbay, waliokamatwa Kisarawe, mkoani Pwani, wakisafirisha meno 70 ya tembo kinyume cha sheria. Huu ni mfano mdogo unaonyosha kidole kwa maofisa na vigogo
Akatoa mfano mwingine wa raia wa Uingereza, Robert Dewar aliyekamatwa nchini akiwa na nyara za serikali zenye thamani ya sh 118,314,900.
Mgeni huyo ambaye ni mkurugenzi mtendaji wa kampuni ya Trans Afrikas Longistics (TALL) alikamatwa na vipande vya meno ya tembo, meno ya tembo, meno ya simba, kucha za simba, ndege aina ya kasuku, vipande vya miti ya mpingo na idadi kubwa ya vinyago.
Mimi sina hakika kesi ya Dewar imefikia wapi, kama imemalizika au inaendelea. Kama imemalizika ni uamuzi upi uliotolewa na mahakama?
Kuhusu vigogo wa ujangili, wabunge nao waliwahi kuchachamaa na kushinikiza kutolewa kwa orodha ya vigogo hao. Walitaka kutajwa kwa majina ya mawaziri, viongozi wa serikali na wabunge wanaojihusisha na biashara hiyo.
Mbunge mmoja alisema, “Inashangaza sana kuwa wale wanaotajwa hawachukuliwi hatua, lakini wananchi wanazidi kuteseka. Mathalani, zipo taarifa kuwa wakuu wa polisi katika mikoa inayopakana na mbuga ya Serengeti ndio waratibu wa shughuli za ujangili, lakini hatujasikia hao wakichukuliwa hatua”.
Nyalandu naye alisema Jeshi la Polisi ni vinara miongoni mwa makundi manne ya majeshi ambayo watumishi wake wamekamatwa wakijihusisha na ujangili.
Na aliyekuwa Waziri wa Ulinzi na Jeshi la Kujenga Taifa, Shamsi Vuai Nahodha akizungumza bungeni kwa niaba ya Waziri Mkuu, alikiri kuwapo fununu za wanasiasa ambao wamekuwa wakijihusisha na biashara hiyo na kusema serikali italifanyia kazi jambo hilo.
Je imekwishalifanyia kazi au bado? Itachukua muda gani? Serikali imefikia wapi? Au Nahodha alikuwa akitoa majibu mepesi kama kawaida yao?
Tatizo hili pia lilizungumzwa na Rais Jakaya Kikwete alipohojiwa na mashirika ya kimataifa ya habari ya CNN na BBC. Alisema mtandao wa majangili unajulikana na jitihada za serikali zimefanikiwa kukamata vigogo 40 walio kwenye mtandao mkubwa wa biashara ya nyara za serikali.
Akaongeza kuwa watuhumiwa hao wamebainika kuwa wanajihusisha na mtandao na kwamba tajiri mkuu wa biashara hiyo naye amefahamika na kwamba anapatikana mkoani Arusha.
“Tumeutambua mtandao huo hadi wakubwa zao ni matajari pale Arusha kuna mmoja mkubwa ambaye sitaki kumtaja jina alikuwa akiendesha biashara hiyo naye yupo kwenye kundi hili la watu 40. Kazi iliyokuwa ikifanyika ni kuutambua huo mtandao kwa upana,” alisema.
Kuhusu athari za ujangili nchini, alisema baada ya Uhuru Tanzania ilikuwa na tembo wengi zaidi barani Afrika na hata duniani. Wakati huo walikuwa 350,000 na ilipofikia mwaka 1987 walipungua hadi 55,000.
Haya ni maneno mazito, hasa yanapotamkwa na mkuu wa nchi. Kitu gani kinafanya mkuu huyo ashindwe kuchukua hatua za kisheria na kuwaadhibu hao vigogo 40 waliotambulika? Kama kweli mtandao unajulikana na vigogo wanajulikana sasa iweje waendelee kutamba?
Kwani tunaambiwa kuwa baadhi ya mahakimu, polisi na waendesha mashtaka ni wahusika wakuu wa ujangili na biashara ya nyara za serikali. Tembo wapatao 30 huuawa kila mwezi na mtandao wa ujangili ambao unaundwa na wafanyabiashara wakuu ndani na nje ya nchi, wanaoshirikiana na baadhi ya maofisa na askari wa wanyamapori.
Ingawa Tanapa imekanusha ripoti ya ITV (Uingereza), Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wake, Allan Kijazi, amekiri kuwa hali ni mbaya, kuwa wahalifu wanapokamatwa wamekuwa wakiachiwa kinyemela “hata pale ambapo kuna ushahidi wa kutosha kuwatia hatiani”.
Wachunguzi wamebaini kuwa baadhi ya watuhumiwa ambao wamewahi kunaswa na kufikishwa mahakamani kwa tuhuma za ujangili, wametoweka katika njia za kutatanisha na kuacha kesi zikiendelea.
“Ujangili huu ni mtandao mkubwa sana. Wanatumia silaha za kisasa zaidi kuliko hata za kwetu. Sisi hatupewi kibali cha kununua silaha hizo,” alisema Kijazi.
Ndipo inabidi tujiulize, hivi ile Operesheni Tokomeza kweli ilisaidia? Ikiwa Operesheni Uhai ilishindwa na hii ya Tokomeza nayo imelaaniwa kwa jinsi ilivyoendeshwa, ni vizuri tukajiangalia upya tulipokosea
Alipokuwa waziri wa nchi katika ofisi ya waziri mkuu, William Lukuvi alikiri mbele ya bunge kuwapo kwa vitendo vya utesaji wa watu waliokamatwa katika operesheni tokomeza.
Alitolea mfano tukio la kukamatwa kwa msaidizi wake jimboni ambaye alipigwa na kuteswa na askari kabla ya kuachiwa baada ya kushikiliwa kwa siku moja. Iwapo msaidizi wa waziri alitendewa unyama huo sembuse mwanakijiji wa kawaida
Alipoulizwa lini ripoti ya operesheni hiyo itawasilishwa bungeni, alisema, “Nadhani kuwa kuleta ripoti hivi sasa haitakuwa vizuri. Ni vizuri tusubiri mpaka kazi hii ikamilike na nina uhakika kuwa wizara itaandaa ripoti na kuiwasilisha kwenye kamati husika.”
Tarahe 10 Aprili mwaka huu taarifa kutoka Ikulu ilituambia kuwa Rais Kikwete amepokea ripoti ya uchunguzi wa Operesheni Tokomeza kutoka tume ya uchunguzi aliyoiteua mwaka mmoja uliopita
Rais akasema serikali itaisoma ripoti hiyo na katika wiki mbili itatoa maelezo ya jinsi ripoti hiyo itakavyoshughulikiwa. Sina hakika kama baada ya wiki mbili maelezo hayo yalitolewa.
Hadidu za rejea ziliitaka tume hiyo ichunguze tuhuma mbali mbali za uvunjifu wa sheria, kanuni na taratibu za Operesheni Tokomeza.
Bila shaka wananchi wanasubiri kwa shauku kujua iwapo tume hiyoiliyoongozwa na Jaji (mstaafu) Hamisi Msumi imetimiza jukumu lake na iwapo serikali itatekeleza mapendekezo ya tume.

Tufuatilie mtandaoni:

Wasiliana na mwandishi

Nizar Visram

+255-713562181

Committee says No again to Nyalandu's budget estimates.

By Gadiosa Lamtey

6th May 2015

Parliamentary Committee for Lands, Natural Resources and Environment again has  rejected the 2015/16 budget estimates for the Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources. 

The committee had given seven days for Lazaro Nyalandu’s  ministry to come out of the budget shortfall.

The Committee Chairman James Lembeli said that his committee rejected the budget estimates on Monday and gave the Minister Lazaro Nyalandu a day to work out on the shortfalls but he had  presented the same report.

“We have given the minister up to May 14 to submit a clean and clear report to the Committee in Dodoma together with clear explanations as to why he had violated an agreement which required all tourists to pay national parks entrance fees thus  causing a loss of  15bn/- annually. 

“We were supposed to discuss the Natural Resources and Tourism ministry’s financial report on Monday and Tuesday but we failed to make changes,” he said.

Responding Nyalandu told the committee that his ministry could not accomplish the work in one day and requested the committee to give them more days.

In February this year, the parliamentary committee had declared it will take to task the minister Nyalandu over failure to sign Government Notice (GN) on the new fee rates for hotels in the national parks as directed by the Parliament.

Chairman of the committee – on Lands, Natural Resources and the Environment  said the minister was supposed to have signed the new rates, Lembeli told reporters in past press conference.

Apparently the government had earlier mandated tourists to only pay once to get free entrance tickets into the national parks and game reserves, but later an agreement was reached to ensure all tourists paid entrance fees as much as they enter into the national parks.

James Lembeli,  said worldwide all national parks require all tourists to pay entrance fees as they get into the parks; however, Tanzania was doing the opposite.

He warned that the ministry’s stance to defy the committee’s order that required overseeing the implementation of the agreement which will see the government losing 15bn/- as entrance fees this year.

Even then the members of the committee also expressed concerns over the ministry’s failure to impose duty fees to all tourists accommodated in tourist hotels within the national parks according to a ruling by the High Court last year.

Ester Bulaya,  member of the committee and Special Seats MP (CCM) said the government would have generated 16bn/- annually.

Seconding the legislator, Suzan Kiwanga also the committee member said the monies generated would have been spent by the government to improve social service delivery in the country. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Kamati yampa Waziri Nyalandu muda zaidi

Waziri wa Maliasili na Utalii, Lazaro Nyalandu 

Na Goodluck Eliona

Posted  Jumatano,Mei6  2015  saa 10:40 AM

Kwa ufupi

Juzi, Waziri Nyalandu na watendaji wake waliwasilisha bajeti ya wizara kwa kamati hiyo, lakini baada ya wajumbe kuipitia walibaini kuwa haikufanyiwa marekebisho kadhaa, yakiwamo mabadiliko ya tozo za ada ya kuingia kwenye hifadhi za Taifa kama walivyokuwa wamependekeza awali.

Dar es Salaam. Kamati ya Kudumu ya Bunge ya Maliasili na Mazingira imemwongezea muda Waziri wa Maliasili na Utalii, Lazaro Nyalandu kuifanyia marekebisho bajeti ya wizara hiyo kwa mwaka 2015/2016 iliyokataliwa baada ya kubainika kuwa na kasoro kadhaa.

Juzi, Waziri Nyalandu na watendaji wake waliwasilisha bajeti ya wizara kwa kamati hiyo, lakini baada ya wajumbe kuipitia walibaini kuwa haikufanyiwa marekebisho kadhaa, yakiwamo mabadiliko ya tozo za ada ya kuingia kwenye hifadhi za Taifa kama walivyokuwa wamependekeza awali.

Waziri Nyalandu alipewa siku moja kufanya marekebisho na kisha kuiwasilisha upya bajeti hiyo jana. Hata hivyo, akizungumza mbele ya kamati jana, Nyalandu alisema muda aliokuwa amepewa haukutosha ndipo Lembeli alipoongeza muda hadi Mei 14 mwaka huu.

“Tunawapa muda hadi Mei 14, Kamati itakutana na nyinyi kule Dodoma mje mkiwa mmefanya marekebisho,” alisema Lembeli.

Lembeli alisema kamati yake haitapitisha bajeti hiyo hadi itakapojiridhisha kuwa mapendekezo yote yaliyotolewa yamefanyiwa kazi. Alitaja mapendekezo hayo kuwa ni pamoja na Nyalandu kukaidi amri ya Mahakama Kuu ya Arusha iliyotaka kuanza mara moja kwa utekelezwaji wa tozo mpya za kuingia kwenye hifadhi za Taifa.

Pia, Lembeli alisema waziri huyo alishauriwa asibadilishe mipaka ya Hifadhi ya Taifa ya Saadan kutokana na mgogoro uliokuwapo, badala yake alikata kipande cha ardhi na kukigawa kwa mwekezaji kinyume cha sheria.

Lembeli ambaye pia ni Mbunge wa Kahama, aliongeza kuwa Nyalandu amebadilisha tozo za ada kwa watalii wanaoingia kwenye hifadhi na kuwaruhusu wanaotoka nje ya hifadhi kurejea bila kulipa ada upya. Katika maagizo ya awali, mtalii anayetoka ndani ya hifadhi alitakiwa kulipa ada kila anapoingia tena.

Kwa mujibu wa kamati hiyo, ada nyingine zilizofutwa ni zilizokuwa zinatozwa katika kambi za wageni na wafanyakazi. Alipoulizwa kuhusu ada hizo, Nyalandu alisema angepandisha ada hizo Julai mwaka huu, jambo ambalo lilipingwa na wajumbe wa kamati.

Hata hivyo, Lembeli alisema kuwa viwango hivyo vilitakiwa kupandishwa tangu Aprili Mosi mwaka huu na kwamba tangu wakati huo Waziri Nyalandu ameiingizia Serikali hasara ya Sh15 bilioni