President fires officials over ‘fake’ quake account

Tanzania’s president, John Magufuli, has sacked two senior officials for opening a fake account to siphon money from an earthquake fund, his office has said. At least 16 people died and 200 were wounded in the 10 September earthquake in the northern Kagera region. The two dismissed officials had opened a bank account which “bears […]

Tanzania’s president, John Magufuli, has sacked two senior officials for opening a fake account to siphon money from an earthquake fund, his office has said.
At least 16 people died and 200 were wounded in the 10 September earthquake in the northern Kagera region.
The two dismissed officials had opened a bank account which “bears the same name as the one opened by the government,” the statement said.
The two, along with the suspended official, intended to “use the account to collect money for their benefit while it was meant to help the victims” of the earthquake.
Amantius Msole, Kagera’s regional administrative secretary, and Steven Makonda, Bukoba city municipal council director, were fired while accountant Simbaufoo Swai had been suspended, local media reports.