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United Kingdom: Cabinet Minister in Conflict of National Identity Cards Project
Publish Date : 09-Nov-2009
Home Affairs Minister has been caught in a fresh conflict of interest row over the multi-million-dollar national identity cards project. This follows a threat issued by a company the minister formerly represented as a private lawyer, Global ID System Limited (GIDS) of the UK, to sue the government for over $17m (approx. 22bn/-) if it is not awarded the lucrative contract.
With efforts by Thisday to contact him for comment proving completely futile over the past week or so, it could not be immediately established for sure whether or not Masha stands to gain any personal financial benefit from the UK firm’s continued courtroom fencing with the government. The letter to minister Masha, signed by GIDS Tanzania country representative Sharif Mohammed Mubago, says in part: Briefly stated, the background of the National Identity Cards Project under the Ministry of Home Affairs began in 1995, when the government floated Tender No. 26/1995 for designing, printing and supplying of national identity cards to Tanzanian citizens, refugees and aliens.
It is understood that after the government re-floated another tender for the national IDs project (tender no. 22/1998), RSL proceeded to file High Court civil case number 67 of 1998 against the government, with Masha representing the company as legal counsel. Masha eventually won the case on behalf of RSL, the High Court in 2001 ordering the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs to finalize the award process of the original tender or terminate it in accordance with the law.
The company warned that it would hit the government with a $17m-plus lawsuit if it does not get the contract, querying: Will the government risk spending more than $17m on compensation, and further delay the Identity Cards for Tanzanians. The $176m (approx. 230bn/-) national IDs scheme has been reclining on the back-burner of state affairs for years now amidst recurring reports of constant meddling and undue influence allegedly being exerted by certain well-connected individuals.
Masha is already reported to have clashed head-on with State House Chief Secretary Philemon Luhanjo over the ongoing tender process for the project. Apparently, the minister formally complained to Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda that CS Luhanjo had instructed the permanent secretary in the home affairs ministry to report straight to the ministerial Cabinet on the implementation of the tender process, bypassing him (Masha) as minister.
