Mbowe's defiance angers police

THE Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander, Simon Sirro, yesterday sent a message to Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) national chairman, Mr Freeman Mbowe, instructing him to report to Central Police Station for interrogation tomorrow. 

Mr Mbowe is required at the police station to collaborate with police on matters related to the ongoing investigation on narcotic drugs.

The Dar es Salaam special zone police boss told reporters that Mr Mbowe was mentioned by Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Paul Makonda, as one among people who were supposed to be questioned on issues related to illegal drug businesses. He said police have tried their best to reach him but their efforts proved futile.

“We made efforts to find him and even call him through his cell phone but in vain. His mobile phone is now switched off, in fact he is nowhere to be found. We are therefore advising him to come by himself. Nobody is above the law in this country,” said Mr Sirro.

Expounding further, Mr Sirro said the Tanzania main opposition leader had earlier promised to report for interrogation on February 15, but surprisingly he did not show up and so far the police have not been informed why he did not show up.

He added: “I am also reminding other people who were instructed to report to police to do so as soon as possible.” Last week, Mr Mbowe vowed to take legal action against Mr Makonda personally. He was reacting to his naming by Mr Makonda in the list of people who were required to report to police for interrogation in connection with narcotic drugs.

Flanked by a number of opposition MPs, Mr Mbowe told a press conference in Dodoma that he was not going to report to any police station because Mr Makonda lacked legal powers to summon him.

He vowed to drag Mr Makonda to court after what he called unlawful and malicious act of naming him in the list of suspected drug addicts and traffickers. Meanwhile, Mr Sirro said Ms Agness Gerald Masogange and Rashidi Said alias Chid Mapenzi will be arraigned any time from now.

He said police have gathered substantial evidence to arraign them in connection with narcotic drugs. He added that out of the 65 people who were mentioned by Mr Makonda, at least 31 have already been arrested and that some of them have confessed to consuming illicit drugs.

“Some of the suspects have confessed that they are consuming illicit drugs, all of them are going to appear before the court soon,” he said. According to Mr Sirro, some suspects have been fleeing to Zanzibar and other parts of the country. He advised them to surrender to police since they have nowhere to hide.

In another development, Mr Elia Peter Msigwa has been arrested for impersonation. According to Mr Sirro, the suspect was arrested wearing a prison officer’s uniform. “After interrogating the suspect, he admitted that he was fired from the force in December, 2016.

According to him, he put on prison officer’s uniform because he had no bus fair,” said Mr Sirro. Meantime, the Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone has collected 218,463,500/- in fines for various traffic offences in two days.