Dar es Salaam. Mamlaka ya Bandari Tanzania (TPA) imekwama kupata fidia iliyoomba na kuambulia kiduchu kwenye kesi ya meli iliyozama bandarini Dar es Salaam mwaka 1999.
TPA ilifungua kesi dhidi ya Reza Company Limited, ikidai fidia ya fedha ilizodai kuzitumia wakati meli ya kampuni hiyo ilipopinduka, kuzama na kumwaga mafuta yaliyochafua mazingira.
TPA iliomba ilipwe zaidi ya Sh515.4 milioni ikiwa ni fidia ya gharama ilizodai kutumia kuiibua na kuiondoa meli hiyo mahali ilikozama, kusafisha mazingira ya bahari yaliyochafuliwa na mafuta yaliyomwagika na hasara ya kushindwa kuendesha shughuli zake mahali ilipozama.
Kesi hiyo ilisikilizwa upande mmoja wa TPA pasipo kampuni hiyo kufika mahakamani kujitetea.
Hata hivyo, Mahakama Kuu Masjala Ndogo Dar es Salaam imekataa madai ya fedha ambazo TPA inadai kuzitumia ikabakiza hasara ya jumla ya Sh100 milioni.
Katika hukumu ya Mahakama iliyotolewa Aprili 15, 2024, Jaji Awamu Mbagwa amesema TPA imeshindwa kuwasilisha uthibitisho wa gharama hizo, hivyo ilipwe Sh100 milioni za fidia ya hasara ya jumla, kiwango ambacho ni hiyari ya Mahakama kukadiria inachoona kinafaa kwa madhara aliyoyapata mwathirika kwa tukio au jambo alilotendewa na mdaiwa.
“Kwa kuwa mdai ameshindwa kuwasilisha nyaraka hata moja kuthibitisha malipo ya gharama alizodai kuingia au hasara halisi ya kibiashara, ni uamuzi wangu kwamba, ameshindwa kuthibitisha hasara halisi,” amesema Jaji Mbagwa.
Amesema baada ya kutathmini ushahidi wote, kwa kuiibua na kuiondoa meli hiyo ilikozama kuna gharama ambazo TPA iliingia pamoja na usumbufu, japo mamlaka hiyo ilishindwa kuthibitisha kwa uhakika.
Jaji Mbagwa amesema katika hali ya kawaida kitendo cha meli kuziba gati namba 10 na 11 (mahali ilikozama), shughuli za TPA zilivurugika na kwa sababu hizo, ama ilipata usumbufu au ilikosa mapato kwa njia moja au nyingine.
Amesema kisheria hasara ya jumla haihitaji kuwa imeombwa na kuthibitishwa kiuhalisia, bali inaweza kutolewa na Mahakama hata kwa kuzingatia maelezo pekee.
“Kwa kuzingatia ushahidi wa mdai ninampa fidia ya hasara ya kiujumla ya Sh100 milioni,” amesema Jaji Mbagwa.
“Hatimaye kwa uchambuzi huo, ninatoa hukumu na tuzo kwa manufaa ya mdai. Ninatoa amri kwamba mdaiwa anaamuriwa kumlipa mdai Sh100 milioni zikiwa ni fidia ya hasara ya kiujumla, riba ya asilimia saba ya kiasi hicho kuanzia tarehe ya hukumu hii mpaka tarehe ya kukamilisha malipo yote na atalipa gharama za kesi,” amesema.
Meli hiyo ya M.V. Mytham, ambayo ndiyo chimbuko la kesi, ilizama Machi 4, 1999 ilipokuwa ikipakia mizigo katika gati namba 11.
Kwa mujibu wa hukumu hiyo, baada ya meli kupinduka na kuzama ilisababisha mafuta kumwagika baharini ambayo yalikuwa miongoni mwa bidhaa zilizokuwa zimepakiwa ndani, hivyo kusababisha uharibifu wa mazingira ya bahari katika eneo hilo.
Pia ilizuia gati namba 10 na 11 hali iliyosababisha shughuli katika magati hayo kusimama kwa muda, jambo ambalo liliilazimu TPA kuingia gharama kukabiliana na tatizo hilo.
Baada ya jitihada za pande zote kumaliza suala hilo kwa amani kushindikana, TPA ilichukua hatua za kisheria na kufungua kesi mahakamani dhidi ya kampuni ya Reza.
Katika kesi hiyo ya madai namba 374 ya mwaka 1999, TPA ilidai kupinduka na hatimaye kuzama kwa meli hiyo kulisababishwa na uzembe wa maofisa wa kampuni hiyo, hususan nahodha na ofisa mkuu.
TPA ilibainisha uzembe uliofanywa na viongozi wa meli hiyo kuwa ni kutokuzingatia taratibu za upakiaji makontena melini, kutokuwa na uwezo na maarifa, kushindwa kuchukua tahadhari muhimu, na meli ilikuwa na matundu.
TPA iliomba ilipwe fidia ya Sh515.49 milioni, ikiwa ni gharama ilizoingia kutokana na kuzama kwa meli hiyo bandarini, riba ya asilimia 31 ya kiasi hicho kuanzia Machi 4, 1999 mpaka tarehe ya hukumu.
Ilichanganua kuwa gharama zikitokana na vifaa vilivyohusika katika uvutaji meli, Sh29.76 milioni, gharama za kuondoa na kudhibiti uchafuzi wa mazingira (Sh1.44 milioni), gharama za vifaa na nguvu kazi wakati wa ukarabati meli hiyo katika karakana kuu ya TPA (Sh7.66 milioni).
Nyingine ni gharama za malighafi na nguvu kazi wakati meli ikiwa gatini (Sh1.66 milioni), gharama za kukodi vifaa na kuwahusisha wataalamu kwa ajili ya kuiibua meli hiyo na kuiondoa (Sh94.63 milioni).
TPA ilibainisha gharama nyingine zilikuwa ni hasara ya kukosa mapato (Sh100 milioni), fidia iliyoilipa kwa kampuni yenye mzigo uliozama na meli hiyo (Sh280.2 milioni), pamoja na gharama za kesi.
Miaka 22 baadaye, Mei 5, 2021, TPA iliiondoa mahakamani kesi hiyo kwa kibali cha kuirejesha na Mei 27, 2021 iliifungua upya na kusajiliwa kama kesi ya madai namba 81 ya mwaka 2021. Ilianza kusikilizwa upande mmoja Februari 20, 2024.
TPA iliwakilishwa na mawakili wa Serikali, Erighi Rumisha na Mwantumu Selle.
Source: mwananchi.co.tz
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