The long running Shs 3.4 billion case against former Works Minister Nalaila Kiula and four of his colleagues continues at its sedentary pace in the Kisitu Resident Magistrates Court in Dar es Salaam with no end seeming to be in sight. As more and more witnesses were brought into the case the Guardian published details. Extracts:

Kiula said he saw nothing wrong in getting a free ticket for his wife to travel with him to Japan paid for by Mitsubishi which supplied vehicles to his ministry. Kiula was going to Japan for a conference.

Former Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr George Mlingwa, the second accused, told the court that he was twice as wealthy as had been alleged by the prosecution. He said that while he was accused of having corruptly obtained Shs 95 million (according to the Prevention of Corruption Bureau) the truth was that his wealth, all of which he had legally acquired, amounted to Shs 187 million which he had earned in various currencies and which would have been more than enough to build the various houses which he was alleged to own.

He explained how his wife had started a business in 1994. He was not able to explain how she had managed to earn more than Shs 300,000 from selling potato chips and cassava, ice-cream and pop-corn. She would explain later when she appeared as a witness.

Later, it was also claimed by the defence that when Kiula and Mlingwa were in office from 1991 to 1995 more trunk and rural roads (4,700 Kms) were built than in the following five years (1,468 kms).