AfricaPress-Tanzania: A third year student of the University Dar es Salaam (UDSM) has been arrested in Shinyanga Region for over allegations of dissemination of false information on social media showing that there are about 230 cases of Covid-19 in Tanzania.
Shinyanga regional police commander Debora Magiligimba said the 23-year old student was arrested on Thursday at the Mwadui Gold mMine in Kishapu District, Shinyanga Region.
Ms Magiligimba claimed that on March 26, the police unit responsible for monitoring social networks succeeded to come across a WhatsApp message sent by the suspect reading in Swahili as, “…Mpk ss Tanzania ina wagonjwa wapatao takriban 230 wa Covid-19 na waliofariki ni 04”, Kiswahili for: “Up to now, Tanzania has about 230 Covid-19 cases and 04 deaths.”
After a thorough search by the police, the suspect was found with the phone used to send the message. The police have already interrogated her and plans are afoot to charge her with publishing and disseminating false information online as well as providing false statistics.
“I call upon the public to be careful with the use of social networks and avoid misleading people because doing so is a criminal offense that attracts legal measures,” commander Magiligimba emphasized.
This comes barely a week after another incident where man was also arrested in Kilimanjaro Region for allegedly spreading false information on the Covid-19 pandemic on social media.
