MENGI & KIMARO LIE TO MOSHI COURT

On 11th May 2006 Stewart Middleton called Veterinary Officers to Silverdale Farm due to Mengi’s animals dying. Zonal Veterinary Officer, Dr. Swai attended the farm on Saturday the 13th May (with Dr. Kweka District Livestock officer for the Hai District) where seven dead cows and five dead goats in various stages of decomposition were found. Dr. Swai immediately confirmed the animals were infected with Foot & Mouth Disease. He found premises hygiene to be poor and the animals ill attended with no medications or inoculations being administered. He instructed Dr. Kweka to issue a Quarantine Order immediately. Kweka did not comply with this instruction.

By 16th May no quarantine order had been issued and three more animals were found dead. Kweka refused to attend the farms ‘I have been threatened by Mengi not to attend’. The Regional Commissioner instructed Kweka but he continued to refuse. On Thursday 18th May two further animals were found dead on the farm. The animals continued to be milked by Mengi and sold for human consumption in Moshi Town and they continued to drink from furrow water sources that flowed into the Kimashuku area and beyond to the TPC Sugar Estates.

On the 25th May, two weeks after the outbreak of the disease, Dr. Kweka delivered a quarantine order to Mengi (I.G. G/V 30/1/Vol.1/81). Not once did Kweka attend the farms to supervise the quarantine order, which was ignored by Mengi.

Investor Sarah Hermitage refused to let the animals suffer and die. Together with her Tanzanian staff she tended the animals administering antibiotics and marking each treated animal with a painted red cross. Animals were washed and bathed and given 24-hour care until they had been restored to good health. At one point Mengi brought senior police officers to the farm, ignored his dying and suffering animals and accused Ms. Hermitage of killing them as he stood by and watched her sat in the dirt tending the festering Foot & Mouth wounds on the animals. At the time this was being done, Mrs. Millie Mengi was at the Moshi Magisteates court issuing proceedings against the investors stating they were killing the animals. Mengi also stated in her plaint, that the investors had forged the government issued quarantine order. Mengi lied to the court together with Anold Kimaro who holds himself out as Mengi's attorney who is advocating Mengi's claim against the investors. In the video below Kimaro states quite clearly, that the investors are NOT killing the cattle. He and Mengi have therefore committed perjury by stating before the Moshi magistrates court that they are.

Former Minister of Investment and Empowerment Dr Juma Ngasaongwa was fully aware of what was happening and did nothing to stop this savage and vile behaviour. British investor Sarah Hermitage sent a daily report to Ngasongwa as she was treating the animals. Former Minister of Justice Dr Mary Nagu was also aware of the situation and did nothing to stop it. In clear breach of law she instructed the investors not to move the animals off the farm as the investors had a clear right to do. Nagu stated, 'the government are dealing with the Silverdale Farm issue'. The government did not. The police refused to listen to the evidence contained in the video and the case continues in the Moshi Magistrates court based on perjured evidence. The Tanzanian government continues to ignore Mengi's conduct.

HAI DISTRICT COMMISSIONER ACCUSES BRITISH INVESTORS OF THEFT

Hai District Commissioner Norman Sigalla speaking on behalf of the Tanzanian government stated on the 10th February 2010, that British investors Srewart Middelton and Sarah Hermitage had stolen the lease to Silverdale & Mbono Farms, in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania.

Sigalla, confirmed statments by Bashiri Shoo that the lease to the farms had been given back to 'patriotic investor' Benjamin Mengi. Sigalla stated that the British investors had stolen the lease from Mr. Mengi when he had taken his wife to the UK in 2004.

Sigalla further confirmed that the investors had forged the lease to the farms and had destroyed the farms by uprooting trees and destoying infrastructure. His comments which were untrue and therefore defamatory, were carried by IPP Media's Radio 1 network throughout the day of 10th February and by IPP Media's ITV television programme.

In 2004, Mengi's comany Fiona Tanzania assigned the lease to the farms to Silverdale Tanzania Ltd. In late 2004, Mengi began negotiating with another British investor Kindrag Legg of Tudeley Estates, to sell the lease a second time. He demanded the lease back from the investors on the basis that he had not been paid in full for the assignment despuite, signing a receipt. When the investors refused, Mengi stated that he would drive the investors out of Tanzania by any means, if necessary, 'cut to pieces in a coffin'.

In 2006, Hon Kileo, dismissed Mengi claims to have the investors evicted from the farms. Mengi brought a further case in the Moshi High Court. This case has not been decided.

Sigalla's offcie of District Commissioner is a goverenment office. Prime Minsister Pinda describes the office of District Commissioners as 'representative of the President... their mandate is from the head of State' .

Sigalla's comments clearly seek to interfere with the judiciary and rule of law in Tanzania and must be seen to be made on behalf of President Kikwete.

The Tanzanian government will now be asked to account for Sigalla's statements.