President Magufuli now wants plea-bargaining for those facing unbailable economic sabotage charges

Dar es Salaam. Journalist Eric Kabendera and other people facing unbailable economic sabotage charges now have an opportunity to negotiate their freedom with the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

President John Magufuli said this was possible during a function in which he swore in a newly appointed regional commissioner, regional administrative secretaries and ambassadors at State House in Dar es Salaam on Sunday, September 22, 2019.

President Magufuli advised DPP Biswalo Mganga, who was in attendance at the ceremony, to immediately start negotiating with the accused.

“It may be possible that some of those who have been behind bars for several years are willing to ask for forgiveness. Negotiate with them so that you agree as to how they will repay the money…they should also swear that they will never repeat such offences,” he said.

Some of those who are behind bars for economic sabotage and money laundering charges include journalist Eric Kabendera and prominent businessmen Harbinder Sethi and James Rugemalira.

Mr Sethi and Mr Rugemalira are facing Sh350 billion economic sabotage and money laundering charges.

Mr Kabendera is charged with abetting organised crime and evading Sh173.247 million in taxes.

Other battling unbailable economic sabotage charges in court include former Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) commissioner general Harry Kitilya.

Mr Kitilya – along with former head of investment banking at Stanbic Bank Shose Sinare, former chief legal counsel with the bank Sioi Sumari and two former senior Finance ministry officials Bedason Shallanda and Alfred Misana – has been charged with organised crime, forgery, falsifying documents, obtaining money by false pretence, money laundering and occasioning the government a Sh12 billion loss.