College staff who burnt state documents still under probe
POLICE in Rukwa Region has confirmed that preliminary investigation over allegations facing Sumbawanga Teachers College accountant Eric Rutamirwa and Instructor Godfrey Msenuka for burning government documents was on progress.
Rukwa Regional Police Commander Theopista Mallya revealed this during a media briefing here yesterday in the municipality, confirming that the duo have been released after meeting the conditions for bail.
Elaborating, the RC said preliminary investigations show that apart from burning the government documents, it was suspected that money contributed by members of the VICOBA group has also been burnt.
“However, members who were interrogated by our officers confirmed that all the funds allocated for the construction of the new Sumbawanga Teachers College has been utilised properly,” said the RPC.
Ms Mallya said that investigation over allegations leveled against the two suspects is on progress and that the suspects will be arraigned in court after investigation of their case is completed.
While in a three-day working tour in Rukwa, Prime Minister Mr Kassim Majaliwa on December 15 this year inspected the construction progress of Sumbawanga Teachers College at Pito village in Sumbawanga municipality, where he ordered the arrest of the duo allegedly for burning of the government documents.
According to the Premier, the act has led to a loss of important information regarding the construction of the Sumbawanga Teachers College.
Rutamirwa and Msenuka, who were construction coordinators, allegedly burnt the documents containing information of the project whose cost of construction materials had been inflated three times the actual value.
The project, which is being implemented in two phases, is expected to cost 7.1bn/- upon completion and the government has already dished out 3.8bn/- in the first phase.
The project commenced in August 2021 and is expected to be completed next month.
The PM hinted that after learning about the misuse of project funds, the respective ministry had planned to go and investigate the allegations but the office of an accountant was burnt to destroy evidence.
“The documents were burnt inside the office of the accountant and the source of the fire is yet to be established. Surprisingly, even the electricity system had no technical fault even after the fire incident,” he said.
The PM queried why the college accountant decided to keep the construction documents contrary to government procedures that require the documents to be kept by the coordinator of the construction committee. He ordered the duo to be investigated.
