Rage slams Tanzania trial

By Emmanuel Muga
BBC Sport, Dar es Salaam

Rage (in white) admitted the TFF had no accounts before 2000

A former secretary-general of the Tanzanian Football Federation (TFF) has claimed that his trial on corruption charges is the result of a government witch-hunt.

Ismail Aden Rage, charged with TFF president Muhidin Ndolanga and two others for stealing US $52,000 of federation funds, accused the country's sports minister of instigating the court case.

"We are here because of our misunderstanding with the minister of sports," Rage told a court in Dar es Salaam.

Rage, who was secretary-general between 1996 and 2001, argued that the audit of the TFF carried out by government - which led to the current trial - was handled by non-qualified people with a hidden agenda.

Tanzania officials stand trial

"[The sports minister] appointed people who are not qualified to audit us.

"Their mission was to serve his mission of getting us [out of the TFF] after he had failed to sack us."

But the former TFF secretary-general admitted to the court that the organisation did not have any audited accounts or other established financial procedures before 2000.

Rage said the expenditure of TFF money was made at the discretion of leading officials.

"There were no financial expenditure procedures before 2000.

"We used wisdom to decide the best way to spend the association's money," Rage told the court.

Prosecutor Willy Mlulu, who cross-examined Rage in court, accused Rage, Ndolanga and other TFF officials of not having proper accounts in order to steal money from the federation.

The trial continues.