Chadema Chairman Freeman Mbowe and co-accused found guilty

Dar es Salaam. The Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court has today found Chadema Chairman, Freeman Mbowe and eight other co accused guilty of the 12 counts out of the 13 that they were charged with.

This is after resident Magistrate Thomas Simba found that prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt in 9 counts out of 13, which were counts  5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 and  13 . He, however, says prosecution failed to prove their case in counts 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Those found guilty by the Kisutu Court today are Mbowe, Dr Vincent Mashinji, Chadema Secretary General, John Mnyika, Deputy Secretary General (Zanzibar) Salum Mwalimu and Iringa Urban MP Peter Msigwa.

Others are Tarime Urban MP, Esther Matiko, Kawe MP, Halima Mdee, Bunda MP Esther Bulaya and Tarime Rural MP, John Heche

They are charged with conspiracy to commit offences, unlawful assembly, rioting after proclamation, raising discontent and ill-will for unlawful purposes, sedition and inciting commission of offenses.

The charges are alleged to have been committed between February 1 and 16, 2018 in Dar es Salaam.

Earlier on in the day, several Chadema supporters were arrested outside the court and as opposed to other days at the Kisutu Court the magistrate was guarded by three uniformed police men who formed a ring around him.

 More to follow...........