Dar es Salaam – The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) has uncovered a massive Sh147.5 billion bank card fraud scheme, marking one of the largest financial crime busts in recent history.
The revelation was made during the presentation of the bureau’s 2024/2025 performance report to President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the State House in Dar es Salaam on March 30, 2026.
PCCB Director General Crispin Chalamila detailed how the bureau recovered Sh14.5 billion through various anti-graft operations. The recovered funds include Sh10.1 billion in cash returned to government institutions and departments, alongside Sh4.4 billion in assets and equipment redirected to development projects.
“The recoveries span multiple sectors, demonstrating our comprehensive approach to tackling tax evasion, loan defaults, and illegal land transactions,” Mr Chalamila reported.
The sophisticated international fraud network involved the use of 1,551 cloned bank cards originating from 11 different countries. Funds were siphoned from customer accounts without their consent through 162 companies and five local banks operating within the country.
Tourism sector implicated
The extensive investigation implicated 82 tourism companies across Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam, and Mwanza in these illegal transactions. The cloned cards were used to make fraudulent payments for various services, including tourism, transport, tax, and health insurance.
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As Chalamila put it while presenting the report, “Suspects engaged in money laundering, causing losses amounting to Sh2.6 billion to some banks.”
By June 2025, the bureau had already recovered Sh678 million linked to the fraud and returned it to the affected banks. The investigation continued with momentum, with the director general revealing that between July 2025 and February 2026, the PCCB saved an additional Sh101.8 billion through ongoing investigations into corruption and financial crimes.
Beyond the card fraud, the anti-graft body recovered over Sh14.5 billion through various intensified operations. Among the key recoveries was Sh1.2 billion collected from service levy arrears owed to local government authorities by major companies.
The bureau also facilitated the recovery of Sh770 million in loan repayments from defaulting tobacco cooperative societies that had failed to repay credit issued by NBC Bank in Kahama District.
An additional Sh221 million was recovered from the sale of plots in the Nyasubi area after PCCB forced beneficiaries who had obtained title deeds without proper payments to comply with regulations.
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The report highlighted a significant increase in the bureau’s investigative efficiency. A total of 1,030 cases were completed between July 2024 and June 2025, up from 728 cases in the previous fiscal year, representing a 41 per cent increase in caseload.
Grand corruption cases
Twenty-two of these completed investigations involved grand corruption cases valued at a staggering Sh210.5 billion. The bureau also achieved an impressive 81.5 per cent conviction rate in court proceedings, successfully winning 483 out of 593 decided cases, up from 76 per cent in the previous financial year.
The bureau also investigated 169 cases of local revenue embezzlement involving Point of Sale (POS) machines. Investigations revealed that Sh12.3 billion had been collected via POS machines but was never deposited into government bank accounts due to weak management and lack of integrity among administrators.
Receiving the report, President Samia commended the PCCB for its relentless efforts in protecting public resources. She acknowledged that the situation had significantly improved compared to previous years, though she noted that some issues continued to recur annually.
President Samia: “I direct the PCCB Director General to ensure the bureau continues to take action without favouritism or bias in tackling corruption and embezzlement.”
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She urged all public officials to actively fight corruption within their respective areas of responsibility. The president emphasised that corruption remains a major enemy of national development and public welfare, undermining the rights of citizens.
“By doing so, we will protect national resources and build a solid foundation for sustainable development for current and future generations,” she said.
The Head of State also offered special praise for the bureau’s corporate social responsibility initiatives.
PCCB staff had voluntarily contributed funds to purchase medical equipment, including infant radiant warmers and phototherapy units, for premature babies in 19 regional referral hospitals across the country.
