Finland acts over suspected misuse of aid money in Tanzania

Tens of thousands of euros in Finnish development cooperation funding are suspected of having been misused in Tanzania, Yle reported. The Finnish Foreign Ministry said it was aware of the case and had taken action.

The Abilis Foundation has asked Tanzanian authorities to investigate the suspected misuse of funds in its country programme. The foundation said it had suspended payments related to the case, according to the ministry.

The ministry said it would seek repayment under Finland’s State Aid Act if the funding is found to have been misused.

Abilis has been investigating the suspected misuse since the autumn and first reported the case in September. The foundation estimates that the first suspected incidents took place in 2020. The issue was discovered through its reporting channel.

During the investigation, documents were found at Abilis’s country office in Tanzania that led to inquiries into whether some organisations listed as funding recipients were genuine.

Tanzania has been one of Abilis’s long-running programme countries, and the foundation has worked there since 1998. In recent years, its funding has supported the livelihoods and education of children with disabilities and their families, as well as income-generating activities for people with disabilities.