Three more arrested over Arusha church bombing

BY LUSEKELO PHILEMON.

Police in Arusha have arrested three more suspects in connection with last Sunday’s Roman Catholic Church bombing in Arusha raising the total number of suspects to twelve.

Arusha Regional Police Commander Liberatus Sabas, divulged this via members of the press yesterday in Arusha.

In another development, the government has corrected its initial identification of four foreign suspects earlier thought to be of Saudi origin. it has now asserted that only one of them is actually from Saudi Arabia and the other three are only identified as ‘foreigners of Middle Eastern origin’.

Nonetheless, yesterday, Reuters reported that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has admitted that three of its citizens have been arrested in Tanzania in connection with the bombing. The Foreign Ministry of the US-allied Gulf state twitted the following:

"We are following with interest the issue of the three citizens being held in Tanzania."

Also, Saudi ambassador in Dar es-Salaam, Hani Abdallah Mo'menah, confirmed in Tuesday's edition of Saudi al-Riyadh that ‘one Saudi and three Emiratis had been arrested’ in Tanzania.

"When the attack happened, the Saudi, his three Emirati friends and two Tanzanians happened to be where the explosion took place in Arusha," the paper quoted him as saying and went on to reveal that Mo'menah is on his way to Arusha quoting him again with the following statement:

“The whole issue is mere suspicion and we expect them to be released, God willing." 

He said that the suspected group was in the country for tourism.

The police on the other hand asserted that during interrogation, the suspects claimed to have been in the country for a wedding.

In yet another development, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Saidi Mwema yesterday announced a 50m/- reward for anyone with information that would lead to more arrests of the bombers and/or the suspected terrorist network.

The RPC also named nine of the twelve arrested suspects asserting that it is too early to name the other three who have been arrested in the last 24 hours. The named nine are as follows two residents of Kwa Mrombo suburb of Arusha, Victor Ambrose Kalisti (20), a motorcyclist believed to have driven the suspect who hauled the bomb into the church and Joseph Yusuph Lomayani (18) yet another motorcyclist but whose part in the bombing was not specified. 

Then, there is George Bathoromeo Silayo (23), a businessman residing in Arusha and Jassini Mbarak (29), another Arusha dweller. 

Mohamed Sulemani Said (38) a Dar es Salaam resident and suspected to be the one who transported the suspected four Middle East nationals from Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) to a hotel in Arusha where they spent a night ahead of the Sunday bombing before he attempted escape into Kenya.

The suspected Middle East citizens are Said Abdallah Said (28) , Abdulaziz Mubarak (30), Foud Saleem Ahmed (28) and Said Mohsen. 

“We are still interrogating them and their files have been sent to the Director of Public Prosecution’s Office for legal action,” he explained.

The RPC also revealed that preliminary investigations indicate that the bomb was not home made but rather a professionally assembled device. 

Also, it turns out, according to the RPC, the foreigners actually had all legal documents allowing their presence in the country.

“They claim to have been in the country for a wedding ceremony,” the RPC said.

Last Sunday, a bomb blast hit a Catholic church in Arusha City, killing three people and injuring more than 60 others.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN: http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=54516