Home Affairs Ministry screens another controversial deal

THE Ministry of Home Affairs is intending to put on scrutiny the controversial deal signed between the Police and a local firm - Mara World Tanzania Limited - for the construction of residential units in Dar es Salaam. According to a press statement issued on Sunday last week in Dar es Salaam, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary (PS), Maj. Gen. Projest Rwegasira, has already directed the police to submit the entire contract signed for the construction of residential complex in Kunduchi, Mikocheni and a police centre at Oysterbay. President John Magufuli pointed a finger at the ongoing construction of Oysterbay police complex centre in Kinondoni Municipality bringing to light that the pact is likely to be surrounded by a number of uncertainties.“Oysterbay is a prime area, everyone knows it. You entered into contracts that you personally know … someone was given to build the place for you. What was the problem for you to get a title deed - the document that you could have used to get loan from banks and setup own commercial structure that can also accommodate your police,” the president asserted in March, when he chaired a meeting with regional police commanders and prosecutors. According to the statement, all the contracts regarding construction of various structures by Mara World Tanzania Limited are to be submitted immediately to the PS. Representatives of the company in question were not available for comments yesterday when attempt to get their reactions failed. But the media communiqué noted that the ministry’s senior leader requested the contracts to get common – understanding of the ongoing projects in various sites in the region. “The project is huge and it has been long,” reads part of the statement. Maj Gen. Rwegasira made an impromptu inspection of the ongoing construction of police residential units in Mikocheni and Kunduchi to witness the actual progress. The PS also visited the ongoing construction of the police post at Oysterbay. Mara World Tanzania Limited is expected to construct the modern police post, office apartments, hospital, shops and hotel at Oysterbay.