Verdict postponed in Milembe murder case

Geita. The verdict in the murder case involving four defendants accused of killing Milembe Suleman (43), which was scheduled for today, has been postponed to August 23, 2024.

At the time of the adjournment, neither the defendants nor the lawyers who were supposed to appear were present in court at 9 a.m. on July 19, 2024, the scheduled time.

State Prosecutor Meritho Ukongoji, who spoke to this paper, said the case has been adjourned until August 23, 2024, for sentencing because Judge Kelvin Mhina, who is presiding over the case, is on a work-related trip.

The defendants in this case are Dayfath Maunga (30), Safari Labingo (54), Genja Deus Pastory, and Musa Pastory (33), all jointly accused of the murder of Milembe Suleman.

Initially, there were five defendants who were first brought to court on May 24, 2023. The trial at the High Court in the Geita region began on April 8, 2024, and continued until June 28, 2024, when both sides finished presenting their evidence.

The prosecution presented 29 witnesses and 19 exhibits. After the prosecution's case, the court acquitted the fifth defendant, Cecilia Macheni, after it was found that she had no case to answer.

The remaining four defendants represented themselves, each denying involvement in the murder and requesting acquittal.

Prosecution evidence

The second and third witnesses described how Milembe's phones were found in a toilet pit after Genja Pastory, the third defendant, placed them there.

The sixth witness, Christopher Matola, a medical officer at Geita Regional Hospital, testified that the cause of death was extensive bleeding from severe wounds inflicted by a sharp object.

The 11th witness described how Dayfath Maunga (30), the first defendant, sought out killers to murder Milembe Suleman and paid them Sh2.6 million.

The 13th witness described how Genja Pastory, the third defendant, confessed to the murder and posed as a traditional healer.

According to the caution statement, on April 25, 2023, at 3 a.m., while placing medicine in Milembe's houses in the Mwatulole area, Genja asked Milembe, who had a torch, to kneel down. When she complied, he began cutting her in various parts of the body, causing her to collapse, after which he cut off her head.

Witness 24, Detective Corporal Hashimu, described how they arrested the defendants. On May 1, 2023, they arrested Dayfath Maunga at Milembe's home in Usagara, Mwanza. After interrogation, she directed them to Safari Labingo, the second defendant.

Safari's arrest led to the apprehension of Musa Pastory, the fourth defendant, who helped locate Genja Pastory, the third defendant. Genja allegedly visited traditional healer Cecilia Macheni to remove bad omens after the murder.

Witness 26, a chemist from the Government Chemist Office, Ally Kanenda, testified that DNA tests on blood swabs from the knife handle used to kill Milembe Suleman matched Genja Pastory's DNA.

Defense

In their defense, guided by their lawyers, the defendants claimed they had never met or communicated before their arrest.

Dayfath Maunga, the first defendant, admitted living at Milembe's house and working in her cosmetics shop, assisting with her money-lending business. She denied allegations of involvement in same-sex relationships with the deceased, stating they were false and that she had no motive for the murder.

The second defendant, Safari Labingo, claimed he did not know the first defendant and had never communicated with her. Regarding Musa and Genja and the alleged murder plot, he denied any knowledge or involvement.

The third defendant, Genja Pastory, denied showing the police where the knife was. After being taken from the station, he was driven to a thicket and asked to locate a knife. When he found it, he claimed not to recognize it and disputed the accuracy of the fingerprints.