James.Grage
AH legend
By Faustine Kapama
The Coast Region Resident Magistrate's Court at Kibaha sentenced eight people, including two police officers, to 20 years in jail and pay total fine of 64bn/- for leading organised crime and unlawful possession of elephant tusks valued at 850.5m/-.
Resident Magistrate Herieth Mwailolo imposed such sentence after convicting them on the charges, having considered the evidence produced by five prosecution witnesses and several documentary exhibits, including 70 pieces of government trophies.
She further ordered the confiscation of a vehicle, a Toyota Surf with Registration Number, T 359 ABK, which is said to have been used by the convicts during the commission of the crime.
The vehicle was tendered in court as exhibit. The convicts include two police officers from Oysterbay-Mikocheni "B" Outpost in Dar es Salaam, Detective Corporal Senga Idd Nyembi and Police Constable Issa Mtama, whose identity cards were also tendered in court as exhibits.
Other convicts are civilians Prosper Maleto, Seif Mdumuka, Amri Bakari, Said Kadulo Mdumuka, Ramadhani Athumani, Mussa Mohamed. They had been charged with Hamidu Hamad, who was acquitted of the charges.
The magistrate sentenced to 20 years in jail all the convicts for unlawful possession of the government trophies and the two police officers each to 15 years, for leading organised crime.
However, the police officers would remain behind bars for only 20 years instead of 35 as their sentences run concurrently. It was alleged by the prosecution, led by Principal State Attorney Faraja Nchimbi, assisted by State Attorneys Salim Msemo and Paul Kadushi, that the convicts committed the offences on July 28, 2013 within Kisarawe District in Coast Region.
The prosecution told the court that being public officers working for the government of Tanzania, jointly and together, the two police officers committed the offence of leading organised crime on the said date at Lukumbulu Village within the district in the region.
According to the prosecution, the duo intentionally promoted and furthered the objective of criminal racket by acquiring and possessing 70 pieces of elephant tusks, which are government trophies weighing 306.5kg, valued at 850.5m/-, without permit from the Director of Wildlife Division.
The court was further told that on July 28, 2013 at Kauzeni Checkpoint within Kisarawe District in Coast Region, jointly and together, all the convicts were found in unlawful possession of the said government trophies, the property of the United Republic of Tanzania.
The Coast Region Resident Magistrate's Court at Kibaha sentenced eight people, including two police officers, to 20 years in jail and pay total fine of 64bn/- for leading organised crime and unlawful possession of elephant tusks valued at 850.5m/-.
Resident Magistrate Herieth Mwailolo imposed such sentence after convicting them on the charges, having considered the evidence produced by five prosecution witnesses and several documentary exhibits, including 70 pieces of government trophies.
She further ordered the confiscation of a vehicle, a Toyota Surf with Registration Number, T 359 ABK, which is said to have been used by the convicts during the commission of the crime.
The vehicle was tendered in court as exhibit. The convicts include two police officers from Oysterbay-Mikocheni "B" Outpost in Dar es Salaam, Detective Corporal Senga Idd Nyembi and Police Constable Issa Mtama, whose identity cards were also tendered in court as exhibits.
Other convicts are civilians Prosper Maleto, Seif Mdumuka, Amri Bakari, Said Kadulo Mdumuka, Ramadhani Athumani, Mussa Mohamed. They had been charged with Hamidu Hamad, who was acquitted of the charges.
The magistrate sentenced to 20 years in jail all the convicts for unlawful possession of the government trophies and the two police officers each to 15 years, for leading organised crime.
However, the police officers would remain behind bars for only 20 years instead of 35 as their sentences run concurrently. It was alleged by the prosecution, led by Principal State Attorney Faraja Nchimbi, assisted by State Attorneys Salim Msemo and Paul Kadushi, that the convicts committed the offences on July 28, 2013 within Kisarawe District in Coast Region.
The prosecution told the court that being public officers working for the government of Tanzania, jointly and together, the two police officers committed the offence of leading organised crime on the said date at Lukumbulu Village within the district in the region.
According to the prosecution, the duo intentionally promoted and furthered the objective of criminal racket by acquiring and possessing 70 pieces of elephant tusks, which are government trophies weighing 306.5kg, valued at 850.5m/-, without permit from the Director of Wildlife Division.
The court was further told that on July 28, 2013 at Kauzeni Checkpoint within Kisarawe District in Coast Region, jointly and together, all the convicts were found in unlawful possession of the said government trophies, the property of the United Republic of Tanzania.
