President John Magufuli has staked a claim on the anti-corruption moral high ground in Tanzanian politics. Thus far he has been relatively fearless in pursuing this agenda. Hundreds of officials, including political appointees, have been removed from office, powerful businessmen forced to go on the fiscal straight and narrow, and a former head of the tax service is facing corruption charges.

But the biggest test may be how he responds to parliamentary pressure to tackle Lugumi Enterprises, East Africa Politics & Security reports. The firm has allegedly been a major channel of corruption in police procurement.

Lugumi Enterprises has come under the spotlight for its involvement in a contract to supply fingerprint technology to police stations nationwide, in a contract that was worth almost US$17 million. The deal was made in 2011, but leaks from the Controller and Auditor General’s report, to be released soon, indicate that only 10% of the contracted equipment has been supplied so far.

The contract is being looked at by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) whose deputy chairman, Aeshi Hilaly, claims that the PAC has requested a copy of the contract between the police and Lugumi Enterprises. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Major General (rtd) Projest Rwegasira says he is willing to do so if it is requested.

However, a press release from Parliament says that reports that the PAC wants to see the contract are misleading and that the PAC merely wanted a report on implementation of the contract. PAC continues to deny this. Meanwhile the Prevention and Combatting of Corruption Bureau is reportedly investigating the contract.

Lugumi Enterprises is of interest as it is owned by Said Lugumi, a son-in-law of former Inspector General of Police, Said Mwema. He left the country last week to an unknown destination. Security contracting is a notorious site of corruption across Africa, as the issue of bonds in Mozambique (see our sister publication Mozambique Politics & Security for more details about this scandal) and the Anglo-Leasing scandal in Kenya have illustrated. If President Magufuli tackles the Lugumi contract, it would represent a real change to how corruption is being dealt with in Tanzania.