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Eight in Mpanda court over theft of tobacco

PETI SIYAME in Sumbawanga
Daily News; Monday,July 28, 2008 @00:03

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Eight suspects, all residents of Mpanda Township, were arraigned before a Mpanda District Resident Magistrate in Rukwa Region on Friday charged with breaking into a warehouse and stealing 244 bales of tobacco worth more than 19m/-.

The tobacco was property of the Association of Tanzania Tobacco Traders (ATTT). Before Resident Magistrate Richard Kasele the accused denied the charges and were remanded until August 14, this year, when the court will rule on their bail applications. The eight accused persons were Hamza Feruzi (30); Edgar Anthony (24); Abuu Juma (27) and Ramadhan Hamisi (21).

Others were Robert BaZililo (50), an ATTT stores watchman, Hassan Adam (28), Charles Chamafwa (18) and Joseph Leonard (19). Prosecuting, Assistant Inspector of Police Timothy Nyika objected to bail for the accused on grounds that the stolen bales of tobacco had not yet been recovered. He also said that the police were still looking for other suspects.

“Your honour, if the accused are released on bail they are likely to interfere with the investigation. They are also likely to abscond, considering the seriousness and gravity of the offence they have committed,” the prosecutor said. The accused, however, asked the court to grant them bail. They claimed that the offence under which they were being charged was bailable as provided by the law.

The prosecutor alleged that the suspects stole the bales at 8.00 pm on July 17 at Mpanda Hotel area. He said that on the night in question the accused conspired with the ATTT stores watchman Bazalilo, broke into a storeroom and stole 244 bales of tobacco valued at 19,548,000/-. Mr Nyika told the court that Bazalilo volunteered information when grilled by the police, which led to the arrest of the other seven accused persons.

Meanwhile, one Josef Asanyingwe (25), a peasant and resident of Chamaledi in Majimoto village, Mpanda District, drowned in Kavuu River. The victim allegedly fell into the river from a canoe when fishing. Rukwa Regional Police Commander Isunto Mantage said that the body of the deceased was found by villagers floating near Chamaledi on Monday. The body of the deceased has already been taken by relatives for burial.

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