Court acquits, police rearrest CCM cadre

FORMER Chairperson of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) Youth Wing in Arusha Region, Lengai Ole Sabaya, was yesterday acquitted of impersonation charges.

 

Ole Sabaya, who previously denied the charges, was upon acquittal, re-arrested by the police and retained back in custody. The suspect was arraigned at the Arusha Resident Magistrate Court, accused of forging an identity card that described him as member of the National Intelligence and Security Services (TISS). 

 

The CCM cadre appeared before the Resident Magistrate Gwantwa Mwankuka yesterday when the State Attorney, Advocate Grace Madikenga declared that the United Republic of Tanzania had no further interest to pursue the case and asked the court to drop it.

The defendant’s Attorneys, Ms Edina Haraka and Mr Yoyo Asubuhi said they had no objection to the state’s withdraw from the case and after the two parties unanimously reached agreement to that effect, Magistrate Mwankuga closed the file.

Reading the charges when the case was filed last September, State Attorney Lilian Mmasi claimed that the accused had impersonated himself, claiming to be an officer with TISS at Skyway Hotel in Makao Mapya Ward of Arusha City.

In the second count, the prosecutor told the court that the defendant had forged an identity card Number 3 ID MT 86117 to reinforce his claim that he was the TISS personnel.

During the initial hearing, Sabaya was released on bail backed by two sureties, with Magistrate Mwankuka directing the guarantors to ensure that the accused reported to court in all dates that his case comes up for mention and hearing, failure to which could lead to a 3m/- fine and other legal measures instituted against him.

The case came up for mention several times afterward but finally it was dropped yesterday, freeing the defendant.

Sabaya was arrested by the police in Arusha last September over impersonation charges. The suspect explained that some people had forged the card in his name to derail him from current mission to cleanse the party’s youth wing.