Court set to hear fraud trial facing engineers, tour guide

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Kinondoni Resident Magistrate’s Court is set to commence hearing a fraud case on July 23, 2025, involving three engineers and a tour guide accused of defrauding various government and private institutions of over 300m/-.

The accused are Faustine Malya (44), a resident of Salasala; Emiliani Kimaro (35), of Kibaha; Nelson Jacob (32), of Kimara Mwisho—all engineers alongside Tumaini Mollel (30), a tour guide from Kiseke area in Mwanza Region.

According to the charge sheet, the quartet is alleged to have unlawfully acquired more than 300m/- from several entities, including the National Housing Corporation (Mtwara branch), Tanga City Council, Skyline Properties Ltd, the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and Camel Oil Company.

During a court session held late last week, State Attorney Janeth Kimambo informed Resident Magistrate Adefu Sachore that the case had been scheduled for hearing.

However, only three of the four accused were present in court. The first accused, Mr Malya, was reported to be attending another case before the High Court.

Following the update, Magistrate Sachore adjourned the proceedings to July 23, 2025, citing the absence of Resident Magistrate Amos Rweikiza, who is presiding over the case and was unavailable due to an emergency.

Earlier in the proceedings, the court had granted a prosecution request to amend the charge sheet against the accused.

It is alleged that the accused manipulated projects under the supervision of Sec East African Ltd a company specialising in elevator installations in various buildings by fraudulently altering the company’s official bank account numbers and replacing them with their own.

The court heard that in executing the scam, the suspects forged the signatures of the company’s Director, Tian Chun; the Marketing Director, Ntuli Mwankusye; and the Accountant, Gabriel Makundi, to facilitate the diversion of project funds into their personal bank accounts.

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The prosecution maintains that the offences including fraud and forgery were committed between November 5, 2021 and April 14, 2023, within Dar es Salaam City.

All four defendants remain out on bail as the court prepares for full trial proceedings later this month.