Cyber crime case involving student adjourned

 

The case will come before Principal Resident Magistrate, Respicius Mwijage of the Kisutu Resident Magistrates’ court in Dar es Salaam. Earlier, State Attorney, Estazia Wilson had informed the court that the case had come up for hearing but the prosecution’s intended witness was on leave.

Magistrate Mwijage expressed his disappointment regarding the fact that the prosecution had not availed alternative witnesses to cover the position of the one who was absent.

“I dislike situations whereby people come up with this kind of excuse when hearing is supposed to be in good progress,” said the Magistrate. He urged the prosecutor to avail two or more witnesses on the specified dates for the hearing and cautioned them that he was going to issue a ruling if otherwise.

Ngonyani, who resides at Magomeni Mapipa, becomes the first person to face the new law since it was endorsed by President Jakaya Kikwete to operate in Tanzania last year.

The accused is charged under section 16 of the Cyber Crime Act, which prohibits people to publish materials which are false or not verified by relevant authorities. Under the provision, whoever is convicted of the offence is liable to serve three years imprisonment or pay 5m/- in fine or both sentences.

Ngonyani is alleged to have published information in the face book network that General Mwamunyange has been poisoned. According to the prosecution, the accused person did so while knowing that such information was false and it was intended to mislead the public.

Meanwhile, A Nigerian National, Ejiofor Henry Ohagwa (33) has been arraigned before the same court for trafficking 4,197.42 grams of narcotic drugs. Before Principal Resident Magistrate, Mwijage the accused, who is a businessman, was not allowed to enter any plea to the charge, because his case will be tried by the High Court after completion of investigation.

Senior State Attorney, Mtalemwa Kishenyi alleged that on January 1, this year, at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Ilala District in the City, Ohagwa was found trafficking from the United Republic of Tanzania 4,197.42 grams of narcotic drugs namely, Heroin Hydrochloride.

Ohagwa told the court that he came in the country to run his cosmetics business. Magistrate Mwijage adjourned the case to January 18, 2016 when the case will come up for mention and ordered the accused to be remanded in custody.