TANZANIA: SINGIDA MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER

March 7, 2013: In Tanzania, the Dodoma High Court has sentenced to death one Juma Swedi (25), a resident of Kibigiri village in Iramba district, Singida region after finding him guilty of murder. The accused together with two others, Omar Swalehe (35) and Mussa Ramadhan (25), both residents of Singida town, stood accused of murder. The two were set free by the court.
The State Attorney, Mr Seif Ahmed, charged before presiding judge, Justice Lawrence Kaduri that the trio, who were both petty businessmen who sold clothes at various auction marts in the area, killed one Shija Lubiza who showed movies at a local tavern. According to the prosecutor, the incident occurred on December 13, 2008 at around 10:00pm.
He further alleged that on the fateful day the accused Suwedi and the deceased Shija left together to have dinner at a nearby food kiosk owned by one Nyachanga, but the deceased never returned home until his body was discovered a few days later. Justice Kaduri said in his judgment that the prosecution side had proved its case satisfactorily and beyond any reasonable doubt and that he found the first accused, Suwedi, guilty of the offence.
He explained that the confession tendered by the first accused to the police station and to the Kiomboi magistrate's court was enough evidence to implicate the accused in the murder case. However, Justice Kaduri said he was forced to set free the other two accused, Swalehe and Ramadhani, because there was no direct evidence which implicated them in the case.
"The fact that Suwedi confessed before the police and to the Kiomboi magistrate's court that he together with his accomplices killed the deceased is enough proof to show he is guilty of the murder," he said.
"However, I find no reason why I should still hold Swalehe and Ramadhani responsible for the murder simply because they were mentioned by the first accused without the collaboration of any other evidence adduced in court," he added. Both the accused were being defended by the Singida based advocate, Mr Raymond Kimu who told journalists here that he intends to appeal. (Sources: allafrica.com, 07/03/2013)