Prime Minister’s Office arrests fake labour officer

Andrew Madembwe was put on hold at Tanga Pharmaceutical and Plastics Company Limited (TPPL), Tazara Industrial area in Temeke District, Dar es Salaam Region. The suspect (Madembwe), had gone to collect fees for fake sticker compliance after he had inspected the company on labour law matters.

Speaking with the ‘Daily News,’ Human Resource Officer of TPPL, Mr Stephen Kagoso, said the suspect went to the TPPL offices on Monday, pretending to be an officer with the National Labour body and had gone for regular inspection on labour laws.

“He claimed that he was an inspector from the Ministry of Labour and Employment in Dar es Salaam and he wanted to inspect us (TPPL) on matters of labour laws,” he said. Mr Kagoso said the ‘conman’ was later given a goahead by the company, where he scrutinised particulars of workers at the company, among other matters and left, promising to get back to the company the following day for other activities.

“Before he left on Monday, the suspect demanded some money from us (TPPL) to help him buy oil ... we gave him 40,000/- and he left but promising to come back the following day to bring us the sticker for labour law fulfilment and the fees,” he explained.

As the ‘conman’ left TPPL offices, the company’s officials opted to seek advice from their sister company in Tanga on the sticker compliance and the funds demanded by Madembwe.

“We became suspicious and informed the ministry and found out that the labour body was not aware of his services and that he was a conman,” he said adding the ‘conman’ came back on Tuesday with the stickers demanding payments of 60,000/- but was not paid on ground that the director general would handle his case on the following day (Wednesday). Mr Kasogo said the suspected conman had various documents containing emblems of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Acting Assistant Labour Commissioner, Ms Rehema Moyo, stated that there have been several complaints from companies and individuals over conmen, using the labour laws requirements to con companies and people, as they pretend to be labour law inspectors.

“This is the first person and would serve as an example with the same habits,” she said and appealed for support from the public and other people to help crack down the syndicate of conmen.