Judegment Day At The High Court London

Judegment Day At The High Court London
Mengi v Hermitage: Libel Claim Successfully Defended

Thursday 9 September 2010

IPP Media tell BBC Silverdale Farm transcipts are 'unavailable'

In his opening remarks of the ruling CCM women wing (UWT) general convention for Singida Region IPP Media Executive Chairman Reginald Mengi said rampant corruption was a major reason for increasing abject poverty among the people in the country.

``Corruption is a source of poverty facing most of our people, but surprisingly, there are some Tanzanians born and raised from poor families, who perpetrate its practice. They even dare to protect thieves and become traitors to their own nation,`` he said.

The IPP boss mentioned corruption was rampant in rural areas, saying lack of essential drugs and hospital beds, and shortage of desks and textbooks in schools was a result of the abominable practice.

``The perpetrators are letting down even their mothers, who are still living in abject poverty, which in fact has been caused by corruption,`` he insisted. The IPP Executive Chairman said taking part in the war against corruption was part of the ongoing efforts to help President Jakaya Kikwete achieve ``better life for every Tanzanian.`` Mengi said the perpetrators of high-profile corruption, whose number was small, were now targeting honest persons supporting efforts to wipe out the vice. However, the IPP boss warned that any move to draw back efforts being made to wrestle the menace in the country, ``won`t succeed, whatsoever``.

In its misssion statement (below) IPP Media states that it is in a joint venture with the BBC through its radio station Sky FM. In January of 2010 IPP Media's Televion station ITV and it's Radio station Radio 1, publosh defamatory statements throughout the day against British investors Stewart Middleton and Sarah Hermitage. IPP Media published statements which stated the 'long standing dispute over Silverdale & Mbono Farms was at an end. The farms had been handed back to Patriotic investor Benjamin Mengi'. By innuendo, the publications stated that the investors conduct in Tanzania had been unlawful.

In 2004 Benjamin Mengi sold the lease to the said farms to the investors. In 2005, he demanded them back stating he had not been paid in full. He asked to courts to evict them from the farms. In 2006, the High Court of Tanzania, Lands Division, Hon, Kileo, dismissed Mengi's application and since that date no court as nullified the sale to the investors. Benjamin Mengi, ignoring the High Court made a unilateral declaration that the lease was his.

The British investors contacted the BBC and asked if they could have a transcript of the above publications by IPP Media given that the BBC were in a joint venture with IPP Media. The BBC stated they were not in a joint venture with SKY FM or any other part of IPP Media but did request the transcripts from the later.

The BBC were told by IPP Media that the transcripts were 'unavailable'.

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