Collapsed building case file misses

MAUREEN ODUNGA

PRINCIPAL Resident Magistrate, Hellen Riwa ordered the prosecution in a case involving 12 people linked with a building that collapsed, leaving several people dead in the city of Dar es Salaam in 2013 to make a follow up on the case file and avail the status in the next session.

Earlier, Senior State Attorney Honorina Mushi had informed the court that the case had come up for mention but she did not have the file of the case.

“Since the case was moved from Magistrate Janeth Kaluyenda who had been handling it, we have not been issued with the file,” said the prosecutor.

Defence Counsel, Dr Roman Lamwai, alleged during the former session the court was adjourned on the same grounds taking into consideration it was registered as a preliminary inquiry.

“This is a preliminary inquiry case and up to this moment we do not know whether investigations into the case have been completed or not,” alleged Dr Lamwai. Magistrate Riwa said it was likely that the prosecutor who had been present in the previous session did not brief on the issue of the file.

“The prosecution should make sure that they are making a follow up on the file so that the court is informed on the status of the case,” she said. In the case, the accused persons include the former Ilala Municipal Executive Director, Gabriel Kaziyashule Fuime (61).

Others are Razah Ladha (68), a businessperson who resides on Uhuru and Aggrey Street in the city, Goodluck Mbaga (35), a resident of Mbezi Luis and Wilboard Mugyabuso (42) from Tandika Mwembe Yanga.

The list also includes Mohamed Abdulkari (61), an engineer from Tabata Bima, Charles Ogare (48), also an engineer from Kinyerezi, Zonazea Oushoudada (60), a consultant engineer residing at Ubungo NHC and Vedasto Richale (59), a quantity surveyor who lives in Mbezi Kimara.

The rest are Michael Hemed (59), an architect living in Kijitonyama Makumbusho, Albert Munuo (56), assistant register of Architects and Quantity Surveyors Registration Board (AQRB) and Joseph Ringo (43), the principal enforcement officer at AQRB who lives in Mbezi Tangi Bovu and Ibrahim Mohamed.

It was alleged that the accused persons committed the offences of manslaughter on March 29, 2013, along Indira Gandhi Street within Ilala District in the City, through their alleged different roles in the collapsed building that killed a dozen people