The Tanzanian port authority’s acting general director, Madeni Kipande, is currently on suspension pending an investigation into allegations that he violated procurement procedures.

Director Kipande, who was suspended by Transport minister Samwel Sitta could not be immediately reached for comment but was quoted by local media as saying he had done nothing wrong.

Speaking to journalists at TPA headquarters in Dar es Salaam this week, Sitta said Kipande’s suspension provides room for investigations on various allegations levelled against him.

According to the minister, there have been complaints regarding an inconsistency in procurement procedures, lack of transparency and poor relationships with stakeholders.

The suspension come at a time when the port of Dar es Salaam is due to receive a major overhaul as part of plans to establish it as a regional hub.

Tanzania and the World bank, along with other development partners, signed a US $565 million deal in September 2014, to expand the Dar port.

The bank had earlier in the year estimated that inefficiencies and other problems at the port cost Tanzania and its land-locked neighbors up to US $2.6 billion a year.

Officials have insisted that the upgrades will go forward.

“This is not going to delay anything,” said Shaaban Mwinjaka, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Transport. “We have our plans for the progress that we are doing.”

He said the allegations against Kipande would be thoroughly investigated.