Religious leaders in a group picture with President Samia Suluhu Hassan at State House Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam. Religious leaders in Tanzania have called on responsible authorities to use their discretion to end the case against Chadema chairman, Freeman Mbowe and co-accused who begin their defense on
March 4.The call was made during their meeting with President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Wednesday, March 2, at the State House Dar es Salaam when religious leader presented different requests including one on Mbowe’s case.
“The religious leaders used the meeting with President Hassan to ask authority responsible for that matter to end the case,” reads the statement from the Director of Presidential Communications, Zuhura Yunus.
The High Court’s Corruption and Economic Crimes Division, on February 14, found Mbowe and other three co-accused with a case to answer.
They face six counts which include conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism, whereas Mbowe alone faces a separate charge of financing acts of terrorism in the Economic Sabotage Case Number 16 of 2021.
During their end of the year prayers religious leaders asked President Samia to heal the nation and bring reconciliation.
They also asked the government to drop baseless cases especially those involving political and religious leaders.
Other issues that the religious leaders put forward included education, in which they suggested a debate on a new system that would meet current needs in the sense of not producing a community of graduates who are job seekers.
"They also asked for a tax exemption on funds that are released as assistance from members and donors for the operation of non-commercial services including helping widows and orphans.
Prior to the religious leaders’ request, different political leaders have also in a recent called on the President to drop Mbowe’s case and set him free.
On December 15, 2021 ACT-Wazalendo party leader and the Tanzania Centre for Democracy (TCD) chairman, Mr Zitto Kabwe asked President Hassan to help in the process of releasing Mr Mbowe during a stakeholder’s conference in Dodoma to discuss the state of multiparty democracy in the country.
During her trip to Europe last month, President Hassan met with Chadema’s deputy chairman Tundu Lissu, who later revealed six key issues that transpired in their talks, including the terrorism charges against the Chadema chairman, Mr Freeman Mbowe.
“I told President Hassan that Mbowe's case is of no benefit to the country or political parties. Rather it only hurts the accused and family members, as well as divides Tanzanians,” Lissu reportedly said.
He added: I have asked President Hassan to do everything in her presidential capacity to ensure the case is removed from court - and she has promised to work on it.
No comments:
Post a Comment