Daqqaro spits fire against lie-prone politicians

THE Arusha District Commissioner (DC), Mr Gabriel Daqarro, has warned local politicians against insinuating lies against state organs here with the aim of breaching peace.

Mr Daqarro was responding to claims raised by the Arusha City Mayor, Mr Kalisti Lazaro, who had earlier claimed that all ward councillors in Arusha were on the police’s wanted list and that is why they failed to turn up for their monthly ‘Full Council’ meeting scheduled for last Monday.

The Full Council meeting was forced to adjourn after it became apparent that there would be a lack of quorum at the Regional Commissioner’s meeting hall.

But in reality, most ward councillors who decided not to attend the Full Council meeting had instead gone to the Regional Magistrate’s Court for the ongoing case facing Arusha Urban MP (CHADEMA), Godbless Lema.

The MP was arrested by the police here last Friday after he allegedly wrote and distributed seditious statements online aimed at inciting chaos ahead of the planned countrywide demonstrations planned by the opposition party next Thursday.

Lema spent the entire weekend at the Central Police Station here where he was held in custody for two days in that he tried to stage hunger strike so that he could be pardoned by the security organs who were sticking to their guns.

Arusha Regional Police Commander (RPC) Mr Charles Mkumbo had earlier reported that the opposition MP had been circulating hate and seditious speeches in both written and recorded audio-visual media in a bid to mobilise people to cause chaos.

“Lema has been circulating written and audio statements through the internet and social media platforms insinuating that the country will be plunged into bloodshed once the opposition’s planned countrywide demo kicks into action,” explained Mr Mkumbo.

The CHADEMA politician was also quoted as saying higher authorities ‘’have reached the end of their thinking capacity’’ and that is why the country was going to face disaster and major losses come September 1, 2016.

Lema appeared before the Resident Magistrate, Mr Desdery Kyaruzi Kamugisha, faced with a number of charges, including the one that he had allegedly sent a threatening message to the Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Mrisho Gambo.

State Attorney, Advocate Innocent Njau told the court that Lema had written to the RC, saying; “Welcome to Arusha....we shall deal with you the way queers are being dealt with in the Emirates!”

The second charge is the one in which the opposition politician is alleged to distribute seditious statements and audio-cum-video clips online and through social media networks inciting chaos through the planned demos. He denied the charges.

He was released on bail and his case will come up for mention on November 13. Lema’s court case comes shortly after another CHADEMA politician, Ally Bananga, the Ward Representative for Sombetini, was arrested for trying to mobilise the people to demonstrate in the streets during the outlawed September 1 Opposition March. Bananga has appeared before a Resident Magistrate, Mr Augustino Rwizile.

The state Attorney, Advocate Charles Kagwira, read the charges against the 40 year-old politician, saying the latter had committed the offence on August 13, 2016 in Karatu Township.

The court allowed Bananga to bail himself out with a bond of 5 million/- He is currently out, awaiting the second mention of his case on September 22.

Source:DailyNews