Former official with Exim Bank, Neema Kinabo (30), has been sentenced to pay 130m/- or go to jail for five years for laundering money amounting to 125,885 US dollars deposited with the bank for various tourist services for tour operators in Arusha.
This follows the decision by Resident Magistrate-in- Charge at the District Court of Arusha, Desdery Kamugisha to convict the ex-Operation Manager with the bank’s Arusha Branch, on her own plea of guilt to the count charged contrary to section 3 (k), 12 (a) and 13 (a) of Money Laundering Act.
Neema, who was facing the charge alongside 14 others who denied involvement when they were brought before the court yesterday, failed to pay the fine and the magistrate ordered him to go to jail to serve the custodian sentence.
The prosecution led by State Attorneys Paul Kadushi and Felix Kwetukia, told the court that on diverse dates between June 1 and December 1, 2012, Neema engaged directly in transactions amounting to 125,855 US dollars.
According to the prosecution, the bank official allegedly authorised withdrawal of the amount from a bank account maintained by one Tumaini Raphael Mwandigo, while she knew the said amount was proceeds of a predicate offence of theft.
The prosecution told the court further that the said amount of money was deposited to the bank by various tour operators as payments for several tourist services offered by Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA).
It was further alleged that the said amount of money forms part of 521,165 US dollars, which was intended to be deposited into a bank account but was diverted into various individual USD bank accounts by the ex-Exim bank staff.
State Attorney Kadushi further disclosed that on diverse dates, the third accused person, being Operations Manager of the bank’s Arusha Branch, while knowing that the money in question was proceeds of a predicate offence of theft, authorised the withdrawal of the money.
The case for the remaining accused persons was adjourned to May 26 and 27 for hearing. They are facing a total counts of 319 relating to conspiracy to commit an offence, money laundering and stealing by servant.
The accused persons are charged with alternative counts of fraudulent accounting by clerk. Other accused persons are Bimal Gondalia, Lilian Mgeye, Livingstone Julius, Joyce Kimaro, Daudi Nhosha, Doroth Chijana, Evance Kashebo, Moses Aloyce, Tuntufye Aggrey, Josephat Neki, Genes Masawe, Christopher Lyimo, Gervas Lubuva and Deusdeith Chacha.
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