LAWYERS representing the most wanted drug king, Ally Khatibu Haji, alias Shkuba and two others, were yesterday caught by surprise upon learning that their clients have already been extradited to United States of America (USA) for trial on drug offences, while the appeal against the extradition was still pending.
Advocate Hudson Ndusyepo and Majura
Magafu confirmed to the ‘Daily News’ in Dar es Salaam that their clients
were handed over by state organs to American authorities on Monday
night, a move they described as illegal and amount to violation of not
only the constitution but also other laws of the land.
“The state is aware that there is an
appeal which is pending before the High Court, against the extradition
order issued recently. This is totally against the constitution and
other laws,” advocate Ndusyepo pointed out when reached for comment on
the matter. Similar sentiments were issued by Mr Magafu, who did not
want to go into details on the matter.
Shkuba’s wife, identified as Munira,
also confirmed the extradition of her husband, when reached for comment
saying,” Indeed my husband left the country at around 23.10 pm aboard
KLM flight.”
The wife also did not want to give more
details on the matter, but she was quick to point out that they will
meet with other relatives and find out what should be the next course of
action, considering already Judge Shaweji has been assigned to hear the
appeal against the extradition ruling.
The Director of Public Prosecutions
(DPP), Mr Biswalo Mganga, could not comment on the matter when contacted
because he was at hospital receiving some treatments. But, various
senior police and prison officials, who requested anonymity, broke the
news early yesterday morning.
Other suspected drug barons who the
Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court granted a request for their
extradition to USA are Idd Salehe Mfuru and Mr Lwitiko Samson Adam.
Principal Resident Magistrate Cyprian Mkeha had issued the extradition
order after considering a request by the DPP.However, the three suspects
had 15 days within which to file an appeal to the High Court in an
attempt to challenge the ruling in question.
The magistrate, therefore, ordered the
suspects to be remanded in custody awaiting consent from the Minister
for Constitution and Legal Affairs to let them travel to America. Shkuba
(44) is considered one of the most powerful and influential drug barons
in Africa.
He is said to be the leader of a cartel
operating principally in East Africa, but with a reach as far as China,
Brazil, Canada, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Last year, the US government declared
Shkuba among the world’s most notorious drug traffickers who smuggled
multi-tonne shipments of heroin and cocaine to Africa, Asia and North
America via East Africa-based trafficking organisation.
He was in custody since February 2014 in
Lindi for allegedly trafficking 210 kilos of heroin worth around
10bn/-; police seized the drugs in Lindi in January 2012 and linked him
with the haul. Shkuba reportedly fled to South Africa the same day the
drugs were seized and has since been in hiding.
He was arrested at the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) after a two-year intensive manhunt.
The US Department of Justice formally
asked the Tanzanian government last month to extradite Shkuba and his
cosuspected drug barons, believing that they had smuggled into the
country huge quantities of heroin and cocaine.
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