Dar es Salaam collapsed building: 11 suspects arraigned in Court

BY KARAMA KENYUNKO.

Eleven people were yesterday arraigned before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court and charged with 24 counts of manslaughter in connection to the collapsed multi-storey building in Dar es Salaam that killed 36 people.

The prosecution side was led by a panel of State Attorneys including Senior State Attorneys Bernard Kongola and Tumaini Kweka. Others are, Joseph Maugo, Rehema Haule, Mohamed Salum and Mutalem Kishenyi. 

Before Resident Magistrate Devotha Kisoka, state attorney Kongola named the accused as Razah Ladha (68) a businessman who resides on Uhuru and Agrey street in the city, Goodluck Mbaga (35) a resident of Mbezi Luis, Wilboard Mugyabuso ( 42) from Tandika Mwembe Yanga, Mohamed Abdulkari (61) an engineer from Tabata Bima and Charles Ogare (48) an engineer from Kinyerezi.

The other five are, Zonazea Oushoudada (60) a consultant engineer residing at Ubungo NHC, Vedasto Richale (59), a quantity surveyor who lives in Mbezi Kimara, Michael Hemed (59), an architect living in Kijitonyama Makumbusho, Albert Munuo (56), assistant register of AQRB a Mburahati NHC street resident, Joseph Ringo (43) the principal enforcement officer at AQRB who lives in Mbezi Tangi Bovu.

The accused were marshaled to court under very tight security at around 2pm amidst a fixated and livid crowd that had swarmed the court grounds.

According to the charge sheet, the prosecution claimed that on March 29 of this year, along Indira Gandhi Street in Ilala District the accused unlawful killed 24 people.

The deceased were named as Yusuph Khari, Kulwa Alfan, Hamada Musa, Kessy Manjapa, Hamis Mkomwa, Boniface Bernard, Suhail Karim, Salman Akbar, Selemani Haji, Selemani Mtego, Sikudhani Mohamed and Ahmed Milambo.

Other who lost their lives in the tragedy are, Salum Mapunda, Selemani Mnyamani, John Majewa, Mussa Mnyamani, Devid Herman, William Joakim, Abdulrahaman Mwiha, Emmanuel Christian, Mmanyi Ngadula, Adivai Desiki, Emmanuel Wahai and Augustino Chuma.

The accused were not allowed to enter any plea because the Kisutu resident Magistrate Court does not have jurisdiction over the case.

Leading the prosecution, Kongola informed the court that investigations into the case are not yet completed.

For the defence, advocate Jerome Msemwa, requested bail for his clients under Section 148 (1), of Criminal Procedure Act (CPA).

He argued that the offences which the accused are charged with do not have to go to the High Court based on Section 178 of CPA which bars the High court from dealing with bail save if committal proceedings were not conducted or in event that the Director of Public Prosecutors does not have the log information.

Magistrate Kisoka adjourned the case until April 16 later this month for the bail hearing.

The 16-storey building collapsed last month and ensued a four day rescue mission that ended on Monday. The government is still seeking for the cause of its collapse and a probe team has been formed to investigate the incident.

The team comprises experts from the Engineering Registration Board (ERB) and Constructors Registration Board (CRB) as well as other officials from the police, the Tanzania Peoples’ Defense Force (TPDF) and others more from the Prime minister’s office. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN (04/04/2013): http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=53129