Now Ester Bulaya in court, joins Mbowe and others for sedition

                         

THE prosecution yesterday made amendments of charge sheet in the seditious trial involving senior officials of Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) by joining Ester Bulaya, Bunda Urban Member of Parliament (MP) amongst the accused persons and adding two more counts.

Principal State Attorney Faraja Nchimbi, who was assisted by Principal State Attorney Zainab Mango, presented the new charge at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam, bringing the number of the accused persons to nine to face a total of 11 charges.

The new counts added include conspiracy to commit offences for all the accused persons and inciting, as commission of offence involving Bulaya alone. However, she denied the charges before Principal Resident Magistrate, Wilbard Mashauri, and she was granted bail on condition of securing two sureties.

The sureties signed the bonds of 20m/- each and presented their identity letters as well as cards. The accused, according to the magistrate, was also ordered to report to the Central Police Station in every Friday on weekly basis. The lawmaker under the opposition party met the bail conditions.

The other accused persons included the National Chairman, Freeman Mbowe, Vicent Mashinji (the party’s Secretary General), John Mnyika (Deputy Secretary General-Mainland), Salum Mwalimu (Deputy Secretary General-Zanzibar) and Peter Msigwa (Member of Parliament (MP) for Iringa Urban).

Also there are Ester Matiko (Tarime Urban MP), Halima Mdee (Kawe MP) and John Heche (Tarime Rural MP). They are charged with conspiracy to commit offences, unlawful assembly, rioting after proclamation, raising discontent and ill-will for unlawful purposes, sedition and inciting commission of offences. Following amendments of the charge sheet, Mbowe alone would face eight counts; Mdee, Heche, Bulaya and Msigwa face four charges each, and the rest three counts for everyone.

The prosecution alleges that the offences were committed on February 16, 2018 at Kinondoni Mkwajuni and Buibui Grounds. It was alleged that on diverse dates, between February 1 and 16, 2018 in Dar es Salaam, jointly and together, all the accused persons conspired to commit the said offences.

The prosecution told the court that on February 16, 2018 along Kawawa Road at Mkwajuni area, being assembled with intent to carry out a common purpose, jointly and together, all the accused persons conducted themselves in such a manner as to cause a fear of breach of peace.

It was claimed further that on the same day and place, with more than 12 other persons not in court, having riotously assembled, in disobedience of proclamation given by a police officer, the accused persons failed to disperse and continued to take part in the riot.