DAR ES SALAAM, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's anti-corruption watchdog has launched an investigation into seven government officials, including police officers, over corruption accusations, an official said on Monday.

Diwani Athumani, the Director General of the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), said the investigation of the officials followed President John Magufuli's directive made on Friday to investigate them during a meeting with prominent businessmen.

Athumani said in a statement issued in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam that the officials facing investigations over corruption allegations were from the police force and the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA).

He said one official from TRA and two police officers could be taken to court over holding cargo of a businessman after they had asked to pay 2 million Tanzanian shillings (about 870 U.S. dollars) in bribe.

Athumani added that the TRA and police officials had accused the businessman of under-declaring the cargo.

He said other suspects involved in this incident were still under investigations.

Athumani said PCCB was also investigating four employees of TRA for over-estimating taxes to the tune of 3.1 billion Tanzanian shillings to a company called Steps Entertainment.

On Saturday, President Magufuli sacked the Minister for Industry and Trade, Joseph Kakunda, and the TRA Commissioner General, Charles Kichere.

The president sacked the two officials a day after meeting prominent businessmen from across the country who complained about poor performance of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and TRA. Enditem

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