AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE outcome of a criminal trial of former Kawe Member of Parliament Halima Mdee (39), who is charged with abusing the President of United Republic of Tanzania, Dr John Magufuli, will be known on February 25.
Principal Resident Magistrate Thomas Simba, who is hearing the matter at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam, said on Wednesday that he will deliver the court’s judgment on that day after going through the evidence tendered by both prosecution and defence.
The latest development comes after Mdee, who was defended by advocates Edson Kilatu and Emanuel Ukashu, closed the defence case after the testimony of Mdee, currently Special Seats MP under the opposition Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema).
In her defence testimony, the lawmaker refuted the prosecution’s claim of abusing the Head of State.
Mdee told the court that she never posted abusive words in any social media and she was not at a press conference at Chadema headquarters at Ufipa Street in Kinondoni area, where such words are alleged to have been uttered on July 3, 2017.
“On July 3, 2017 I was at home in Mbweni area and remained there the whole day,” she testified in her examination in chief while being led by her defence lawyers. According to her, she never posted the complained words anywhere in the social media.
During cross-examination by the prosecution led by State Attorney Silvia Mitanto, the MP, however, admitted knowing Dr John Magufuli as the President of Tanzania, but she was quick to add that she never uttered the words in controversy.
During the trial, the prosecution called three witnesses in attempt to support the charge in question. In the case, the prosecution charges the MP for speaking words against the head of state, which were likely to cause the breach of the peace.
Facts of the case show that on July 3, 2017, the opposition MP was at Chadema Head Office, along Ufipa Area in Kinondoni District in the city.
While at the said offices, the prosecution alleged, the accused uttered abusive language against the President.
The prosecution told the court that following the utterances of the said words, on July 4, 2017, the accused was arrested at Kibangu area in Kinondoni District and handed to the Regional Crime Officer (RCO) Office.
Before her arraignment, the opposition lawmaker was locked up following an order given by the then Kinondoni District Commissioner (DC), Mr Ally Hapi, who is currently Iringa Regional Commissioner, for inflammatory statements against President Magufuli.
The ex-DC was quoted as saying that as the Chairman of the Peace and Security Committee in the district he ordered the law enforcement officers to arrest Mdee and hold her for interrogation for not less than 48 hours before further legal measures.
Mr Hapi derived such powers under some provisions in the Regional Administration Act, empowering Regional Commissioners (RCs) and District Commissioners (DCs) to order citizens to be confined for 48 hours.
When ordering the detention of the MP, DC Hapi told a press conference that his district is not a place for politicians to utter inflammatory statements against government leaders and abusing the president.
