Air Tanzania ‘s invoice for its freighter was inflated by nearly $50 million. Tanzania’s president Samia Suluhu Hassan has called for the resignation of all individuals involved in the fraud.
Air Tanzania was supposed to receive its first Boeing 767 freighter by the end of Q1 2023, but it is now expected to be delivered this month. According to the 2021/2022 Controller and Auditor General (CAG) report, the last installment for the plane’s manufacture was $37 million; however, an $86 million invoice was presented to the government.
The Citizen reports that President Hassan read the CAG report on March 29th. The audit revealed that an $86 million invoice, over twice the original figure, was submitted to the government in an attempt to defraud the state.
Air Tanzania is wholly owned by the government. The new aircraft was sold to Tanzania Government Flight (TGF), which is expected to boost its cargo operations. President Hassan recognized that the price hike for the aircraft originated within the government, and she lashed out to all those involved.
The president will not tolerate such conduct, as she added that the nation could not be run that way. Although she did not state the individuals who were involved in the fraud, she ordered all of them to step down from their positions.