Tundu Lissu, former Chadema (Mainland) vice-chairman, alleged the Tanzanian government settled outstanding parliamentary benefits and debts following a years-long dispute, according to statements made during a public session.
Lissu was removed from his parliamentary seat on June 28, 2019, over failures to file asset declarations and report his whereabouts. At the time, he was undergoing medical treatment in Belgium after being shot 16 times by unidentified attackers at his Dodoma residence in September 2017. The suspects remain at large.
Efforts to resolve his financial obligations, including medical bills and bank debts, stalled for years. In February 2022, during a meeting with President Samia Suluhu Hassan in Belgium, Lissu claimed he requested assistance with these issues and a passport, both of which were reportedly expedited.
Two months prior to his public statement, Lissu said a Ministry of Finance and Planning official informed him that his parliamentary benefits had been transferred to a bank where he owed money. He revealed he had been sued by a bank for unpaid loans previously covered by his parliamentary salary. 'The issue has been resolved,' he stated, claiming he now has no outstanding debts.
Emmanuel Tutuba, chief government paymaster, explained that settling employee debts is standard practice. 'Payments are directed to the relevant institution's accounting officer. For MPs, funds go to the Parliamentary Fund, which includes medical expenses,' he said. Parliamentary leadership did not respond to requests for comment.
Lissu, who fled to Belgium after the 2017 attack, returned for the 2020 presidential election but lost to John Pombe Magufuli. He later resumed exile, citing unresolved financial and medical claims across Kenya and Belgium.
