Witness admits Malinzi occasionally funded TFF
Marealle, who is currently the Chairman of TFF Medical Committee and member of the Federation’s Executive Committee, was giving evidence at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in the fraud and money laundering trial of Malinzi and four other senior officials.
Cross-examined by Advocate Richard Rweyongeza, the witness told Principal Resident Magistrate Wilbard Mashauri that there are times when TFF is forced to seek financial support from different individual persons upon running short of funds.
According to him, one of the persons who had been providing such support was Malinzi. The witness testified that he is aware that Malinzi was currently behind bars facing a number of criminal charges, including obtaining money by false pretences from the Federation.
In further cross-examination, however, Marealle was quick to point out that he is unaware whether the funds Malinzi had been refunded. The witness further explained the TFF Executive Committee does not know the actual amount Malinzi was demanding nor how much he had obtained fraudulently from TFF.
During the examination in chief, the witness narrated that at some point in time he was summoned by the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), where he had shown two documents, one of them being a resolution of TFF Executive Committee, authorising changes of accounts signatories.
The other document, he testified, was copy of minutes of the Committee’s meeting held on June 5, 2016. Led by the PCCB Prosecutor, Leonard Swai, the witness told the court that after comparing the two documents he discovered they bore two different kinds of agenda.
Marealle testified that the agenda relating to changes of signatories of bank accounts of TFF as indicated in the resolution sent to Stanbic Bank Tanzania Limited was not discussed in the Committee’s meeting of June 5, 2016.
However, when crossexamined on such aspect, the witness admitted that there are times when such resolutions have been passed by the Committee through e-mail or mobile phones. One of the resolutions related to the opening of TFF bank account at Kenya Commercial Bank in November 2017.
At the end of the hearing session, the question of citizenship involving current TFF Secretary General Wilfred Kidawu emerged, with Advocate Rweyongeza seeking to know from the witness whether he is aware of such problematic subject.
Marealle told the court that it is true that Kidau was interrogated on the matter, but he was not aware whether the issue was still under scrutiny by the Minister for Home Affairs. Apart from Malinzi, other accused persons in the trial are TFF ex-Secretary General Mwesigwa Selestine, an accounts officer Nsiande Mwanga, TFF Office Manager Miriam Zayumba and Flora Rauya, the Clerk with the Federation.
They are facing a total of 30 counts of conspiracy (Malinzi and Selestine), abuse of office (Malinzi and Selestine), 11 counts of forgery (Malinzi, Selestine, Miriam and Flora), uttering false documents (Selestine) and 12 counts of obtaining money by false pretences (Malinzi).
Others are four charges of money laundering (Malinzi, Selestine and Mwanga). Both Malinzi and Selestine are accused of forging such resolution of June 5, 2016 a view makes changes of signatories whereby Edgar Masoud, who was TFF Director of Finance and Accounting was replaced by Mwanga.
Facts of the case show that TFF holds and operates six accounts at Stanbic Bank Tanzania Limited and that Edgar Masoud, who was TFF Director of Finance and Accounting was one of the signatories of such accounts.
With the view to change the signatory to such accounts, the prosecution alleges that on September 1, 2016, Selestine presented to the Bank, Centre Branch, a resolution dated June 5, 2016, purportedly made by TFF Executive Committee under which Masoud was replaced by Mwanga, as signatory.
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