The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) has completed investigations into 8.7bn/- corruption scandals, paving the way for the prosecution of 24 people linked to the graft in Ilala District, Dar es Salaam Region.

Presenting a quarterly report for the period ending December 2023, PCCB’s Ilala Regional Bureau Chief, Sosthenes Kibwengo, stated in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday that during the said period, education led other sectors after registering 12 corruption-related complaints, followed by land (11) and Local Government Authority (8).

Other areas with more complaints, according to the Ilala Regional Bureau Chief, are health (5), private (4), financing and banking (3), and others (11).

Asked by the ‘Daily News’ about the reasons why education has received more corruption complaints than any other areas, Mr. Kibwengo explained that a lot of funds have been injected into the sector for various activities, including construction projects.

According to him, some unfaithful officials and contractors are trying to tamper with the funds and delay projects.

He warned that the PCCB is vigilant and closely monitors the implementation of various projects in Ilala District.

“Land issues are another crucial area where many complaints about title deeds and matrimonial issues have been voiced by the public. Some local government officials have been charged with various counts, including soliciting bribes and misuse of public offices,” he said.

The Ilala PCCB’s October-December dossier indicates that out of the 88 complaints received in the same period, 54 were related to corruption. A total of 32 cases are still in court, while three others involving five people have been concluded.

Providing feedback on the investigation of a toilet construction project in Dar es Salaam City worth 3.27bn/-, Mr Kibwengo said that after identifying gaps, PCCB in Ilala convened a meeting with Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (DAWASA) officials.

According to him, DAWASA implemented PCCB’s directives regarding the shortfalls unveiled by the report by fining the contractor a total of 327.48bn/- for delaying the completion of the multimillion projects.

The PCCB Ilala Regional boss stated that during that particular period, the anti-graft watchdog probed nine projects worth 19.14bn/- to establish if they are value for money.

It was revealed that three of them had various challenges.

According to the report, the three projects in health, education, and construction (roads) worth 1.35bn/- encountered various violations in the procurement process, quality control, mismanagement, and project delays.

“We are working closely with institutions linked to these projects to rectify the unveiled shortcomings,” he said.

In the first quarter of 2023/24, PCCB in Ilala saved a total of 3.24bn/-. The amount was collected from various sources but was not deposited into respective financial institutions according to the law.