Economic crime amnesty extended

Tanzania's President John Magufuli has announced an extension to an economic crimes amnesty after prosecutors were flooded with hundreds of requests. Demand for the amnesty, which allows suspects to negotiate their freedom from jail, has been so great that Magufuli agreed to extend the offer until today. A report on the News24 site notes that the amnesty allows suspects held in jail for non-bailable economic crimes – mostly money laundering – to pay the government in return for having charges dropped. Director of Public Prosecutions Biswalo Mganga confirmed that 467 people had applied for the amnesty and were willing to pay a total of $46m to the government. ‘Some of these people are ready to pay up-front and others committed to do that in instalments,’ Mganga said.