Dar es Salaam: Five foreigners pay 53m/- fine, escape jail term

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Five officials with CI Group Co Ltd on Monday escaped a three-year custodian sentence by paying a 52.5m/- fine after being convicted over illegal stay and engaging into unlawful occupation.

The convicts were two Executive Graphic Designers Shashi Shankar Upadhay (31) and Mohan Gaikwad as well as Marketing Officer Ashish Joshi (24), both Indian nationals. Others were an Accountant, Didar Karim (39) and Project Manager Manzoor Islam (31), Pakistan nationals.

Principal Resident Magistrate Cyprian Mkeha convicted the illegal immigrants on their own plea late on Monday before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam. On the count of unlawful stay in the country, each of the accused was ordered to pay 500,000/- or serve a three-year jail term.

And, in the second count of working illegally, the court subjected each of the accused to the 10m/- fine or one year in prison. Prosecutor with the Immigration Department Method Kagoma had earlier alleged that on July 20, 2017 at CI Group Co Ltd in Kinondoni District in Dar es Salaam, the accused were found staying in the country without valid passes.

It was further alleged that at same place, the accused were found working without the working permit. Meanwhile, hearing of a drug abuse case against Video Vixen Agness Waya (28), alias Masogange, for the second time failed to kick off yesterday due to illness.

Previously, the matter was adjourned on grounds that the accused was sick. This time, it was the prosecutor’s child who was reported sick. Principal Resident Magistrate Wilbard Mashauri adjourned the case to August 9, this year.

The court was earlier informed that the matter had come up for hearing and two witnesses were present for the session to start. Masogange appeared before the court for the first time on February 22, this year and denied the charges.

It was alleged that the accused committed the offence on February 7, this year at unknown area and district, but within Dar es Salaam city.

The Video queen is alleged to have used narcotic drugs, namely Heroin (Diacety Imophine and Oxazepam types). Her arraignment came after being in police custody for several days having been suspected of dealing in narcotics.

She is among people the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Paul Makonda, named publicly as drug dealers.

Source: Daily News (26/07/2017).