Rule of Law in Tanzania: Evidence corners former president Mwinyi’s shoplifter

Written by FAUSTINE KAPAMA

A PROSECUTION witness before a Dar es Salaam court produced “damning” evidence, implicating the accused, Abdallah Nassoro Mzimbe, of coming to his shop at different times to collect renting fees on behalf of former president Ali Hassan Mwinyi.

Mzimbe is facing a criminal case at the Kisutu Resident Magistrates’ Court in the city.

He is accused of stealing over 19m/- , being some rental fees he was entrusted by the former head of state to collect on his behalf from tenants of two houses located in Kinondoni district, Dar es Salaam region.

Led by State Attorney Charles Anindo, the witness, Onesmo Massawe , claimed that he is a tenant of a house owned by Mr Mwinyi situated at Mikocheni B area, where he has been running a shop since last year.

Referring to the first contract of between June 2011 and July 2012, the accused told presiding Magistrate Geni Dudu that he had been paying 40,000/- per month as rent fees and the accused had been coming to collect the amount from him.

“Sometimes he (accused) was coming to collect items at my shop like cooking oil and drinking water, instead of taking some cash. We had agreed that the value of the items collected would be deducted from the renting fees,” the fifth prosecution witness said.

The second contract, the witness went on, started on June 15, 2012 up to July 2013 and he was paying 60,000/- each month. However, the witness claimed, he agreed with the accused to use about 570,000/- to renovate the room he had rented, while the remaining amount of 150,000/- was collected by the accused.

“Abdallah (Mzimbe) promised to come back to me so that we sign a contract regarding such payments, but he disappeared and I have not seen him since then until today when I met him here in court,” Massawe claimed.

Hearing of the case was adjourned until November 7. According to the charge sheet, Mzimbe is accused of stealing by agent over 19m/-, being property of Mr Mwinyi between January 1, 2011 and July 10, 2012.

Source: Daily News (23/10/2012): http://dailynews.co.tz/index.php/local-news/10787-evidence-corners-former-president-mwinyi-s-shoplifter