Tanzania high-profile gang-rape case adjourned for review
Integrated Justice Centre-Dodoma
What you need to know:
- Following the petition's submission, the case was adjourned to allow the High Court to make decisions regarding this review. The High Court had given petitioners three days to submit a counter affidavit by August 26, 2024.
Dodoma. The case involving four individuals accused of gang rape and sodomy of a young woman from Yombo Dovya, Dar es Salaam, has been postponed to August 30, 2024.
The delay is to accommodate the High Court's decision on a petition for review filed on August 23, 2024.
The trial, which began on August 20, 2024, has seen testimonies from three witnesses before Magistrate Zabibu Mpangule at the Dodoma Resident Magistrate's Court.
On August 23, lawyer Leonard Mashabara filed a petition requesting the High Court to review the validity of the accused's representation.
Mashabara is challenging the legitimacy of the lawyers representing the accused—Clinton Damas (Nyundo), Praygod Mushi, Nickson Jackson (Machuche), and Amin Lema (Kindamba).
The Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) issued a statement on August 5, 2024, labeling the accused as criminals and indicating it would cooperate with criminal justice agencies.
Mashabara’s petition seeks clarification on whether these lawyers can legally continue defending the accused.
Following the petition's submission, the case was adjourned to allow the High Court to make decisions regarding this review. The High Court had given petitioners three days to submit a counter affidavit by August 26, 2024.
However, the accused, who are currently in prison, missed the deadline but were granted an extension. They successfully filed their petition on August 27, 2024.
Today, the accused appeared in court for the continuation of their case, but proceedings have been postponed to August 30, 2024. This delay is to ensure the High Court's review on the petition is finalized before the case proceeds.
Lawyer Meshack Ngamando, representing the accused, speaks to journalists outside Integrated Justice Centre-Dodoma on August 28, 2024. PHOTO | RACHEL CHIBWETE
Lawyer Meshack Ngamando, representing the accused, explained that the postponement is due to the pending review petition.
He stated, "We were instructed to respond to the petition with a counter affidavit, and the High Court's decision on this matter is expected tomorrow.
Therefore, the primary case has been adjourned until August 30, 2024, for further proceedings."
