Lissu finally out on bail after spending a week behind bars
Dar es Salaam. Singida East MP and President of the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) Tundu Lisu has just left Kisutu Resident magistrate’s Court in a private car after the court granted him bail.
Lissu has been released by the court after spending one week behind bars following his arrest at Julius Nyerere International Airport last Thursday when he was about to board a plane to Kigali, Rwanda.
Giving a ruling on bail application this morning, Magistrate Wilbard Mshauri, quashed all arguments by the prosecution, which filed an affidavit blocking the outspoken lawyer bail.
Magistrate Mshauri noted that there was no records showing that Lissu had breaching bail conditions in the past.
He also noted that 18 lawyers who came forward to represent Lissu was a testimony of kind of a person in the dock.
Mr Lissu was arrested exactly a week ago today July 20, at Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) en route to Kigali to attend East Africa Lawyers Society (EALS) Leadership Council meeting.
He has been charged with sedition after addressing a press conference on July 17, in which, among other things, he appealed to the international community to cut financial support to President Magufuli’s administration as efforts to press the government to respect principles of democracy, the rule of law and human rights.
But Magistrate Mshauri said Lissu should not travel outside Dar es Salaam without the court’s permission, he has also complied with a condition of providing two sureties who signed a Sh10 million bond each.
According to the prosecution, the investigation is complete and the court has set August 24 for preliminary hearing.
