Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE prosecution yesterday disclosed some facts showing that former Hai District Commission Lengai Ole Sabaya was among the targets of terrorist acts allegedly engineered by Chadema National Chairman Freeman Mbowe.
There was further disclosure before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam that Mbowe provided some funds, including 699,000/- to facilitate acquisition of three Commandos, of the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF), who are currently co-accused persons in the terrorist trial, to commit various terrorist acts.
In the yesterday’s court session, Principal Resident Magistrate Thomas Simba conducted committal proceedings, where the prosecution expressed intention of calling 24 witnesses, including former Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Robert Boaz in the terrorist trial.
Other witnesses, according to the prosecution, led by Senior State Attorneys Nassoro Katuga, Ester Martin and Jenetreza Kitali, included several senior police officers, former and in-service members of the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) and ordinary civilians.
The prosecution also indicated to tender 19 documentary exhibits. On the other hand, the defence indicated among the witnesses to testify for the accused persons before the Corruption and Economic Crime Division of the High Court as the Inspector General (IGP) Simon Sirro and ex-Hai DC Ole Sabaya.
Statements of witnesses read over by the prosecution disclosed how Mbowe and his co-accused persons arranged to attack some targeted areas in some regions prior to the 2020 General Election. Among the areas includes Puma and Bigbon Petrol Stations and Kilombero Market.
The accused persons, Mbowe, Halfan Hassan, Adam Kasekwa and Mohamed Lingwenya, according to the statements, had intended to blow up bridges, cut logs and place them along roads and incite violence and protests across the country to show the government’s failure to organize the elections.
On part of the defence, led by Advocate Peter Kibatala, all accused persons disowned their cautioned statements they allegedly recorded before the police during interrogations and investigations of the case. Hassan alleged that the statements were taken having been seriously tortured.
Kasekwa said that his statement was involuntarily taken and was not asked whether he should call his advocate or any relative at the time of interrogation, while Lingwenya claimed to have been forced to sign on the statement that he could know the contents.
Before the court committing the accused to the High Court for trial, the prosecution read over the new charges prepared by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and filed before the trial court.
They include conspiracy, provision of funds to commit terrorist acts, participating in terrorist meetings and possession of properties for commission of terrorist acts.
The prosecution charges all the accused persons that between May 1, and August 1, 2020 at Aishi Hotel within Moshi District in Kilimanjaro Region and at various places in Dar es Salaam, Morogoro and Arusha Regions, conspired to blow up fuel stations and other public gatherings.
According to the prosecution, such an act involves prejudice to the public safety and is intended to intimidate the section of the population in the country.
Within the same period and places, all accused persons conspired to commit a terrorist act of causing serious bodily harm to Ole Sabaya with intent to seriously intimidate the population in the country.
It is alleged that within the same period and places, Mbowe directly provided funds, in particular, 699,000/- to other three accused persons, that is, Hassan, Kasekwa and Lingwenya, knowing such money would be used to recruit them for purposes of carrying out the said terrorist acts.
According to the prosecution, between May 1, and August 1, 2020 at Aishi Hotel within Moshi District in Kilimanjaro Region and at various places in Dar es Salaam, Morogoro and Arusha regions, jointly and together, the three accused persons all participated in meetings.
It is alleged that the accused persons knew that the said meetings concerned some acts of terrorism, which are blow up fuel stations and other public gatherings in Dar es Salaam, Morogoro and Arusha regions, act which involve prejudice to the public safety and intimidate the public.
On August 5, 2020 at Rau Madukani area within Moshi District in Kilimanjaro Region, Kasekwa was allegedly found in possession of a pistol, luger of make, loaded with three rounds of ammunition intended to be directly used to facilitate the commission of terrorist acts.
It is alleged that on August 10, 2020 at Kilakala area within Temeke District in Dar es Salaam, Hassan was found in possession of several TPDF properties, including four pairs of trousers and three pairs T-shirt intended to be used in the commission of the terrorist acts.
Others are one pair of raincoat, one pair of jacket, five army berets, one overall, two bags, four corporal ranks, one tool kit, four waist belts, one pair of socks, one rasket, one pair of sweater, one wing badge for attending parachute course, one water calabash and one knife AK 47 CCCP and one pair of National Service trouser.
