High Court turns into battleground as CUF supporters lock horns

THE High Court’s premises in Dar es Salaam yesterday turned into a battlefield between the supporters of the Civic United Front (CUF) the party’s Chairman Prof Ibrahim Lipumba and Secretary General Seif Shariff Hamad respectively, leaving three people injured.

 

The incident erupted few minutes after presiding Judge Sekiet Kihiyo, had issued a ruling following an application filed by the party’s Registered Trustees demanding that the judge disqualifies himself from hearing the case. 

Immediately after the ruling was issued, people believed to be Prof Lipumba’s supporters escorted him through the exit door and paused for media interview in front of the door where a group of people started fighting. During the fighting, three men were spotted with injuries on their necks with blood flowing.

They claimed to have been attacked with knives by Prof Lipumba’s supporters. One Robert Samson was heard shouting and blaming the police for “their failure to manage the situation by allowing people to carry knives within the court’s premises.” “It is very sad.

While all this is going on the police are just watching. People are carrying knives in the court’s premises; people are getting hurt but nothing is being done,” Samson claimed.

Following the situation, the police had to close the gates and the entrance doors to court’s building, preventing people from going in and out. But outside the gates, fighting continued as opposing supporters threw stones and hurled insults at each other.

A few minutes later after the police had managed to control the situation, doors were opened and Prof Lipumba was escorted out by a large crowd to his vehicle and left with other cars following and some walking side by side upon leaving.

Earlier, at around 1 pm, Prof Lipumba entered the court’s premises. Upon his arrival at the waiting area, a group that had been seated stood and attacked the group that was escorting the leader. Chaos erupted for some minutes before the police managed to control the situation and the atmosphere cooled down.

During the courtroom ses-sion, Judge Kihiyo had ruled that he was not going to disqualify himself from hearing the case on grounds that the arguments presented by the applicants lacked merits.

Judge Kihiyo stated that CUF’s Registered Trustees, through a letter dated November 10, 2016 to the Court Registrar; their advocate, Mr Rahim Khalfani, had filed an application for the Judge to disqualify himself from the case.

The case was adjourned until today at 11 am when the court will rise to issue necessary orders when the grounds for objection will kick-start.