WHILE the Kisutu Resident Magistrates’ Court in Dar es Salaam is set in two weeks to deliver a judgment on the case facing senior Chadema officials, former opposition party Secretary-General Vicent Mashinji stole the show during yesterday’s court session.
All angles from photojournalists were directed towards him before and after the court session.
Some party officials and members could not hold back their personal political intolerance with Kawe MP Halima Mdee refusing to shake hands with him. Mdee is one of the senior party officials facing sedition charges.
As he was leaving the court premises after the court session, some Chadema members booed at him with others calling him a traitor for leaving the opposition party and joining the ruling CCM.
Principal Resident Magistrate Thomas Simba used the yesterday session to announce that the judgment of Chadema senior officials, including National Chairman Freeman Mbowe would be delivered on March 10, 2020 after going through the evidence produced by prosecution and defence counsel.
During the trial, the prosecution, led by Principal State Attorney Faraja Nchimbi, Senior State Attorney Wankyo Simon and State attorneys Jacqueline Nyantori and Salim Msemo called eight witnesses, while the defence counsel led by Peter Kibatala summoned 13 witnesses, with the accused inclusive.
Before the delivery of the judgment, the magistrate directed the parties, that is, prosecution and defence, to file final submissions, if they so wished, on or before March 3, 2020, on the guilty or otherwise of the accused in respect of the offences charged.
Other senior party officials facing the trial are Chadema Secretary-General John Mnyika, Deputy Secretary-General (Zanzibar) Salum Mwalimu, MP for Iringa Urban Peter Msigwa, MP for Tarime Rural John Heche, Bunda Urban MP Ester Bulaya and MP for Tarime Urban Ester Matiko.
They are charged with 13 counts of conspiracy to commit offences, unlawful assembly, rioting after proclamation, raising discontent and ill-will for unlawful purposes, sedition and inciting commission of offences.
The charges are alleged to have been committed between February 1 and 16, 2018 in the city.
The prosecution alleges that on February 16, 2018 along Kawawa Road at Mkwajuni, being assembled with intent to carry out a common purpose, jointly and together, all accused conducted themselves in such a manner as to cause fear of the breach of the peace.
It is claimed further that on the same day and place, with more than 12 other persons not in court, having riotously assembled, in disobedience of proclamation given by a police officer, the accused failed to disperse and continued taking part in the riot.
Thereby, according to the prosecution, the accused breached the peace and terrifying members of the public, culminating in the death of National Institute of Transport (NIT) student Akwilina Akwiline Baftaa and the injury of two police officers, Police Constable Fikiri and Corporal Rahim Msangi.
According to the prosecution, on the same day at Buibui grounds, while addressing Kinondoni residents at a public meeting, Mbowe, Mdee and Heche made statements likely to raise discontent and promote feelings of ill-will among the inhabitants of the United Republic of Tanzania.
The prosecution alleges further that Mbowe, in related offences, made seditious statements with the intention of bringing hatred and contempt to the citizens of the United Republic of Tanzania against the lawful authority of the government.
It is alleged further that on the same day at Buibui grounds, Mbowe, Msigwa and Bulaya with other persons not in court, jointly incited the residents of Kinondoni District in the city to commit offences of unlawful assembly, going armed in public and rioting.
