AfricaPress-Tanzania: A SENIOR official of the Drugs Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) gave evidence before the High Court’s Corruption and Economic Crime Division when giving evidence in the narcotic drugs trial of suspected drug baron Mohamed Hariri and his wife Muna Said.
Before Judge Emaculata Banzi, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Neema Mwakagenda, explained how she received an envelope allegedly containing suspected drugs from a police officer before sealing it and storing in a safe place and was subsequently used in court as an exhibit.
The senior police officer was testifying in a trial as a prosecution witness, under which prominent businessman Hariri and his wife are charged with trafficking 214 grams of heroin, which are narcotic drugs, an offence allegedly committed on March 2, 2018, in Mtitu area in Kinondoni District in Dar es Salaam.
In her evidence in chief, SSP Neema told the court that on March 3, 2018 at the DCEA offices in Dar es Salaam, she received a parcel containing the suspected drugs from Inspector Hassan Msangi to store it.
According to her, the packet was of light nylon with black and white lines that contained drugs presumed to be narcotic drugs and stored in an A4-shaped envelope.
She testified that she registered in the register book of specimens and assigned it with number DCEA / AR / 11/2018.
SSP Neema explained that the accused person (Hariri) witnessed when she was sealing the exhibit where there were other people, including independent witness Yahaya Abubakari, Station Sergeant Juma Suleiman and other officers.
“The exhibit was placed in two envelopes, A4 and A3, I wrote my names, the names of the accused, the witness and I signed on it. I also asked Hariri to write his names and append his signature,” the witness explained.
However, the police officer told the court that Hariri wrote some words on the envelope, which read: “Mimi Hariri Mohamed sitambui nini kilichowekwa kikanifanya nisaini.” This loosely translates as “I, Hariri Mohamed, don’t know what is inside that compels me to sign.”
The witness further explained that in the second envelope marked A3 which also had the exhibit, the accused angrily signed on it and tore the envelope partially on the space where he penned his signature.
SSP Neema testified further that on March 5, 2018, the exhibit was handed over to Station Sergeant Juma Suleimani for handing over to the Government Chemist’s Office for professional examination and returned it the same evening.
“On March 27, 2018, I received the report of the Chief Government Chemist from Constable Lazaro Muhegele and on June 8, 2020, I released the exhibit after receiving a summons as a witness in this case and after arriving in court I submitted it to the prosecution, ” she said.
This is yet another case pending before the court involving couples.
The first couple involves Abdul Nsembo and Shamim Mwasha, charged with trafficking in 275.40 grams of Heroin Hydrochloride, which are narcotic drugs allegedly committed on May 1, 2019 at Mbezi Beach area within Kinondoni District.
