Drugs case raises eyebrows

Arusha. 

The Police Force has said it suspects an attempt by attorneys here to secure bail for two suspected drug dealers.

Attorneys prosecuting the case involving Tanzanians of Asian descent, Dharam Patel, 26, and Nivan Patel, 20, had twice attempted to change charges facing the suspects without consulting the police.

The suspects, who were initially charged with drug peddling, are now charged with being in possession of narcotics, an offence which could see them secure the much-sought-after bail.

On Tuesday, the attempt prompted other remandees to strip naked at the resident magistrate’s court grounds as they were being forced to alight from the Prisons Department vehicles. The duo nabbed with 173 sachets of heroin and 300 rolls of marijuana last month, had spent barely a month in remand, yet they are about to secure bail mysteriously, the remandees were heard complaining.

They quizzed the reason behind the case facing their fellow remandees, which is before resident magistrate Mwakuga Gwanta, to be fast tracked while they have spent years waiting for theirs to be heard.

The head of Tanzania’s anti-drugs unit, Mr Godfrey Nzowa, said his office was informed of the attempts to bail out the duo, but was not officially consulted.

“The case was to be mentioned on April 29, this year, but was extended to Friday,” said Mr Nzowa, as he confirmed the dubious change of charges.

The law, according to Mr Nzowa, clearly stated that a suspect nabbed with Sh10 million worth of narcotics could be granted bail if he or she met some conditions, but when the value of the drugs exceeded the amount, he or she could not be granted the same.

“We’re closely following reports on the change of charges to see what is exactly happening,” he said. But until the time of going to press yesterday, the process of granting Dharam and Patel bail had hit a snag.

Arusha Regional Police Commander Liberatus Sabas distanced himself from the complaints levelled against the office of the Attorney General here, saying the Police Force’s role was to arrest suspects only.

Some of the protesting remandees said they were also facing similar serious charges such as armed robbery and murder, but they had been languishing in prison cells for years now.

“We must be treated fairly,” shouted one of the naked remandees to the astonishment of Arusha residents present at the court.

The prison vans parked in front of Fodey Security had to leave the court grounds at around 11:00 as a result of the remandees refusing to put on their clothes as well as refusing to alight. High Court registrar in Arusha Zone Willbert Mashauri, said he was not involved in the complaints because he was not investigating the case.

The Citizen: