This archive report was first published on 23 July 2019.
July 23, 2019
Tanzanian President John Magufuli has reinstated James Mataragio, the former head of the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), after he was suspended in 2016 over allegations of abuse of office.
Mataragio, who was the managing director of TPDC, was suspended by the company's board in August 2016. He was charged in court last year along with four other TPDC executives who were suspended at the same time.
According to a statement from the TPDC board Chairman Prof Sufian Bukurura, Mataragio and other top officials were accused of violating procurement laws, infringing public service regulations, and engaging in conflict of interest.
They were also accused of spending budget funds without the approval of top authorities and failing to account for important information concerning TPDC.
Mataragio was appointed by former President Jakaya Kikwete in December 2014. He holds a PhD in Geochemistry, Mineralogy, Structural Geology, and Petroleum Geology from the Missouri University of Science and Technology in the USA.
Since his election in 2015, Magufuli has implemented significant changes in the Tanzanian economy, including demanding higher royalty payments from mining firms and firing senior government officials accused of not doing their jobs properly.
