Mining staff held

LONDON: Tanzania detained two senior Acacia Mining staff at an airport in a dispute with the government, according to sources, and the company said it was having trouble renewing work permits for foreign staff.

Chief executive Brad Gordon denied staff were asked to leave due to a dispute over mining licences and accusations of tax evasion.

He said its local employees had been interviewed by Tanzanian “government agencies”, but did not confirm detentions.

“We were having difficulty getting work permits renewed. But no foreign nationals have been asked to leave the country. So there may be some confusion,” Gordon said. – Reuters