AfricaPress-Tanzania: DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Biswalo Mganga has ordered the immediate release of 185 inmates with pending criminal cases in Kagera Region.
He issued the directive on Thursday after visiting the Prisons in Karagwe, Biharamulo, Bukoba and Muleba districts where he addressed inmates and heard of their grievances.
Out of the number, 57 inmates are from Karagwe, 54 from Bukoba, 48 from Biharamulo and 26 from Muleba.
DPP is appointed pursuant to Article 59B(i) of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania and is the head of operations in the service in relation to prosecutions and coordination of investigation duties conducted by investigative organs.
DPP is mandated to regularly visit places where inmates are kept such as prisons, police cells and remand homes for purposes connected to the administration of criminal justice Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Constitutional and Legal Affairs Amon Mpanju, who accompanied the DPP, said the visit aimed at speeding up the dispensation of justice to inmates with pending criminal cases in courts.
Early last month, President John Magufuli changed the death sentences of 256 convicts on death row on the occasion of marking the 59th anniversary of independence.
The Head of State further reduced the sentences of 3, 3116 inmates who were convicted of various offences. He directed the relevant authorities to start releasing the pardoned prisoners the following day.
“Most prisoners were serving jail terms over minor offences such as chicken stealing, using abusive language against others, failure to hire good advocates and failure to pay fines,” he said.
The President warned the pardoned inmates against recommitting crimes as that would land them in jail again.
Kagera Regional Prisons Officer (RPO) Assistant Commissioner (ACP) Samuel Mwakatika told the ‘Daily News’ that about 288 inmates had benefited from the presidential pardon.
Out of the number, 236 inmates had their sentences reduced while 52 others were released yesterday.
Beneficiaries include prisoners serving jail terms between one day and one year as well as those sentenced to serve many years, but have no more than one year left to complete their prison terms.
Meanwhile, Bukoba High Court Judge in-charge Lucia Kairo said 35 per cent of the cases pending in court had to do with frequent land conflicts and murder.
She appealed to people to utilise Law Week which starts on January 23-February 1 to get basic knowledge of court proceedings. “This will minimise cases arising from ignorance of the law,” she said.
