Rostam Aziz apologises over comments on judicial independence
What you need to know:
- The Judges and Magistrates Association of Tanzania (JMAT) had earlier, on Tuesday, July 4, issued a statement that demanded that the businessman provide evidence regarding the allegations he made against the court or apologize in public
Dar es Salaam. Businessman Rostam Aziz has apologised to Tanzania’s judiciary following comments that he made on June 26, casting doubts over the independence of the body.
"No investor will invest in a country where if a case is sent to Kisutu (courts), aleader can call and instruct the courts what to do," he said.
The Judges and Magistrates Association of Tanzania (JMAT) had earlier, on Tuesday, July 4, issued a statement that demanded that the businessman provide evidence regarding the allegations he made against the court or apologize in public.
Speaking to journalists at his home in Dar es Salaam, Mr. Aziz said it was not his intention to cast one of the state pillars into disrepute, and it was a slip of the tongue.
"Because I recognise and respect the status, and constitutional responsibility of the Court, I would like to say the following. I would like to assure the public that when I was talking about investment, it was not my intention to disrespect the Court."
He said it was a slip of the tongue because his main purpose was to explain about investments in the country, and what he meant was that investors have to comply with the procedures.
