Mbowe warned for not attending court

Dar es Salaam. The Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court has issued a warning to the chairman of the Chadema Party, Freeman Mbowe, for not attending court for a case facing him and other co-accused party leaders. Mbowe has not shown up in court for two consecutive sessions.

The Resident Magistrate-in-Charge, Wilbard Mashauri, said steps against Mbowe, for another no-show, will include withdrawal of bail and confiscating his bond package.

The magistrate also removed copies of letters of intention to appeal from the court’s records. Copies of the appeal presented to court by the defence lawyer, Hekima Mwasipu, were against the decision made in the review application number 126 of 2018 of the High Court and the processing of the application.

According to the magistrate, this is until when the respondents have presented again those letters of intention to appeal in accordance with the law and the case has been set for August 2, this year, when Preliminary Hearing will be read to the accused persons.

All this happened after four accused persons in the case were taken to the dock with the exception of Mbowe.

However, Mwasipu defended Mboya by telling the court that his client was not in court, but his surety was present. Mbowe’s surety told the court that he had communicated with his client, who told him that he was stuck in a traffic jam.

Chief state lawyer Faraja Nchimbi asked the court to put in record that this was the second time for Mbowe to fail to attend court for the case (number 12 of 2018). Nchimbi said Mbowe did not appear in court for the first time on July 25, this year, and his surety then told the court that the accused’s car had broken down while he was returning to Dar es Salaam from Arusha.

Nchimbi asked the court to warn the accused and that he should respect bail conditions and appear in court as required.

The accused persons are facing 13 charges including plotting, making a violent gathering, sowing feelings of hate, fomenting the condition of discontent, sedition and inciting the act of committing a criminal offence between February 1 and 16, 2018,in Dar es Salaam.

The other accused persons in the case are Dr Vincent Mashinji who is the Chadema Secretary General; Salum Mwalimu, who is the Chadema Deputy Secretary General for Zanzibar and his Mainland counterpart John Mnyika; Tarime Rural MP, John Heche; Kawe MP Halima Mdee and MP for Bunda Esther Bulaya. Others are Iringa Urban MP Rev Peter Msigwa, Tarime Urban MP, Esther Matiko.