Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu has suspended the director-general of the country’s ports authority, after an audit report showed embezzlement of government funds at the state corporation.
This marks Suluhu’s first key decision since assuming office.
President Samia announced the suspension of Deusdedit Kakoko after receiving an audit report for the financial year 2019-2020.
She said, “But from the report that you submitted to me yesterday, at least Sh3.6 billion has been embezzled at TPA. When the Prime Minister conducted a probe, we only managed to fire junior staff.”
She added, “I now order the suspension of the TPA director-general to pave way for investigations into the embezzlement.”
She expressed concern that the ports authority had not accounted for about four billion Tanzanian shillings.
She ordered urgent investigations into the loss of public funds.
She also warned that action would be taken against other state corporations, including Air Tanzania, which reportedly made a loss of 60 billion Tanzanian shillings.