Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr Biswalo Mganga, has authorised the prosecution of five people including two police officers on six economic charges in a transaction involving illegal exportation of large consignment of gold.
They are Corporal Hassan Njujilo and Police Constable Daniel Mrema, as well as the three mineral dealers from Chunya District, Sabra Ally, Malof Nassor and Hamdun Mtafuni.
A statement issued by the DPP’s Office mentioned the charges against the suspects as leading organised crime, abuse of position, issuing and receiving a bribe of 150m/-, illegal exportation of minerals and money laundering.
The DPP stated that he reached the decision to lodge the case after considering principles set out under Article 59B (4) (a) to (c) of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania as well as sections 8 and 9 (1) (a) of the National Prosecutions Services Act having been satisfied by preliminary evidence collected. He stated in the statement that on December 8, this year, his office received a file for investigation on an incidence involving smuggling of minerals which occurred on November 25, this year in Chunya District, Mbeya City.
The suspects under investigation were two police officers Corporal Hassan Njujilo and Police Constable Daniel Mrema. Other suspects were three mineral dealers from the district, namely Sabra Ally, Malof Nassor and Hamdun Mtafuni.
Having gone through the evidence on record, the DPP discovered that on November 25, 2020, the two police officers and Mtafuni, a small miner, seized a consignment of gold mineral, which was being smuggled by Ally and Nassor, who are large scale mineral traders.
Having seized the cargo, the two police officers demanded a bribe of 150m/- from the two businessmen who obeyed the order by dishing out the money before handing back the consignment to the owners.
The statement added that the two businessmen had no valid permit for exporting the cargo outside the country nor had they paid any government levy in accordance with mining law.
According to the DPP, the police officers deliberately violated the provisions of the Police Force and Auxiliary Services Act, the Criminal Procedure Act, the Permanent Regulations of the Police Force as well as their oaths of faithfulness to the country and their duty to fight crime.
He stated also that the police officers and the businessmen jointly committed the crime with the aim of sabotaging the country’s economy, offering and receiving bribes to accumulate wealth in violation of the country’s Constitution and laws.
