DAR ES SALAAM: SIX suspects were recently arraigned before the Kinondoni Resident Magistrate’s Court, facing 68 charges, including causing the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) a loss of over 2.1bn/- .
According to the charge sheet read in court by Senior State Attorney Daisy Makakala, assisted by State Attorney Auni Chilamula, the accused are two brothers, Stanislaus Mushi (27) and Nemence Mushi (29), both residents of Malamba Mawili, Rose Nanga (33), an accountant from Kimara B, Hussein Mlezi (37), a computer specialist from Kijichi Mbagala Kuu, Edwin Mark (22), a businessman from Yombo Vituka and Salim Salehe (45), an artist from Vingunguti, Komba.
Before Resident Magistrate Ramadhan Rugemarila, it was alleged that the charges the accused are facing include manipulation of the TRA system, the fraudulent registration of Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TIN), Value Added Tax (VAT) numbers and Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFD) machines and causing financial loss to TRA.
State Attorney Makakala stated that between November 1 and November 30, 2024, at various locations in Dar es Salaam, the accused manipulated the TRA system.
It is alleged that the accused used an EFD machine, registered under the number 3TZ843058288, owned by Hadija Songea, to issue various receipts worth over 2bn/- in an attempt to distort the TRA system and mislead the TRA Commissioner General by reporting false sales figures for Songea.
Moreover, it was alleged that between June 1 and June 30, 2024, in various parts of Dar es Salaam, contrary to Section 309 of the Penal Code, the accused Mushi, Nanga and Salehe registered a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) in the name of Songea.
Furthermore, it was alleged that between October 1 and October 31, 2024, in various locations in Dar es Salaam, the accused fraudulently registered a VAT number in the name of Songea.
It was also alleged that between June 1 and June 30, 2024, in Dar es Salaam, Mushi, Nanga and Salehe fraudulently registered an EFD machine with the number 03TZ843058288 under the name of Songea.
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In another charge, it was alleged that between November 1 and November 30, 2024, at various locations in Dar es Salaam, the accused caused TRA a loss of 2,160,310,567.51/-, which represents VAT.
The accused are facing charges under Section 284 A of the Penal Code, read together with the Economic Sabotage Act.
However, after the charges were read, the accused were not allowed to enter any plea as the court had no jurisdiction to hear cases related to economic sabotage.
The prosecution indicated that the investigation is still ongoing and the case was adjourned to January 20, 2025.
