Tanzania parliament votes on PM resignation amid corruption scandal 

Tanzania’s parliament voted on Saturday to dismiss senior officials, including the attorney general and the minister of energy, following a report released earlier this week implicating public officials in a scandal involving fraudulent payments of public funds. Officials have also called for the resignation of Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda .

The report, released earlier this week by Tanzania’s public accounts committee, revealed that public officials authorized the release of funds to offshore bank accounts for non-existent energy contracts. The report implicates state-owned energy provider Tanesco , along with five senior politicians, including the Minister of Energy Sospeter Muhongo and Attorney General Frederick Werema.

Government corruption and the misuse of public funds is an issue around the world. Last month the Ukrainian government passed five anti-corruption laws in an effort to cure past issues and work towards developing more transparency in government affairs. In September an Indian court sentenced Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram to four years in prison for corruption in a case that was filed 18 years ago, alleging that she had assets vastly disproportionate to her earnings during her first term as chief minister between 1991 to 1996.

In July former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was taken into police custody for questioning regarding allegations of misuse of influence and illegal campaign financing. Earlier this year Brazil’s largest corruption scandal came to a close.

Source: Jurist – Tanzania parliament votes on PM resignation amid corruption scandal

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