Africa-Press – Tanzania. TWO people have appeared before the Kisutu Resident Magistrates’ Court in Dar es Salaam facing four economic charges for allegedly stealing electrical appliances worth over 168m/-, the property of Tanesco Limited.
They are Fred Manjiu (46), an electrician residing at Kimara Temboni and Arobogast Christian (60), a businessman living at Mkuraga B.
They were not allowed to enter any plea to the charges because they fall under the Economic and Organised Crime Control Act.
Such charges include leading an organised crime, stealing, money laundering and occasioning a loss to the public utility.
Senior Resident Magistrate Rashid Chaungu informed the court that his court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the charges, including the question of bail.
Under the circumstances, the accused persons were ordered to go to remand until December 24, 2020, when the case will be mentioned.
Investigations into the charges, according to the prosecution, led by Principal State Attorney Martenus Marandu and State Attorney Kijja Luzunguna, are underway.
Trial attorneys told the court that between January 2017 and November 14, 2020 at Kimara Temboni in Ubungo District in Dar es Salaam, the two accused persons wilfully organised a crime by stealing various electrical appliances.
The appliances with their market value in brackets are 162 pieces of polymeric insulators (12,117,438/-), 25 pieces of pin insulators (1,522,650/-), 42 rubber discs (1,990,254/-), 62 pieces of dropout fuses (8,388,290/-), 310 pieces of stay insulators (2,001,050/-) and 138 pieces of LV insulators (108,468/-).
Others are 64 pieces of 33KV insulators (525,440/-), 221 pieces of D-iron with bolt (7,007,200/-), 2,312 pieces of washer (619,616/-), 86 pieces of eye bolt LV (1,462,000/-), 72 pieces of HT pig tail hook (622,152/-), 199 pieces of tie rod end ¾ (207,756/-) and 195 pieces of bolt and nut ¾ (933,465/-).
The list also includes 39 pieces of stay base plat (2,535,000/-), 101 pieces of stay base plat Lt (6,565,000/-), 317 pieces of danger plate (1,735,575/-), 161 pieces of thimble and ratchet (3,519,460/-), 1,032 pieces of gay grip for thimble (11, 321,040/-), just to mention a few.
It is alleged that within the same period and place in the city, the two accused persons stole the electrical appliances, all valued at 168,188,543/52, which were later found in unlawful possession of the same, the property of Tanesco.
On money laundering, the prosecution charged the duo that between January 2017 and November 14, 2020 at Kimara Temboni in Ubungo District in Dar es Salaam they engaged in a transaction involving the money, while knowing the sum was proceeds of a predicate offence of stealing.
The court heard that with within the same period and place in the city, by their wilful act and unlawfully, the two accused persons stole the electrical appliances and caused Tanesco to suffer a pecuniary loss of 168,188,543/52.
