The Tanzanian Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications has confirmed the seizure of an A220-300, operated by Air Tanzania (TC, Dar es Salaam), at Johannesburg O.R. Tambo on Friday, August 23.
In a statement, permanent secretary Leonard Chamuriho said only that the order had been effected at the behest of the Gauteng High Court. Though operated by Air Tanzania, 5H-TCH (msn 55047) is, in fact, owned by another state-owned enterprise, TGF - Tanzania Government Flight.
According to Reuters, Roger Wakefield, of South African law firm Werksmans Attorneys, said his client, described as an elderly farmer, was owed USD33 million including interest, in compensation from the Tanzanian government after it expropriated his farm "several decades ago". He was subsequently awarded compensation via arbitration but which the Tanzanian government never settled.
According to Wakefield, President John Magufuli's government can secure the release of the jet if it puts down a guarantee or pays off the debt.
This is the second time Air Tanzania has been entangled in its owner's debt delinquency. Last year, the delivery to Air Tanzania of TGF's third Dash 8-400 - 5H-TCE (msn 4559) - was delayed after Stirling Civil Engineering secured a seizure order against the turboprop citing the Tanzanian government's unwillingness to settle a USD38.7 million debt awarded to the Canadian contractor by the International Court of Arbitration in 2010. The case pertained to a cancelled USD25 million civil engineering contract.
The aircraft was eventually released but no public statement was ever made regarding the terms of the presumed settlement.
