Kuwait national in court over tortoise haul
KUWAIT national Hussein Ahmed Ally Mansour appeared before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate's Court in Dar es Salaam yesterday, charged with three counts of conspiracy, leading organised crime and unlawful possession of government trophies.
Before Senior Resident Magistrate Frank Moshi, the Kuwaiti who was found in unlawful possession of 173 tortoises was charged alongside a Tanzania Airport Authority (TAA) employee, Jovin Charles Kafumu. The duo were not allowed to enter plea to the charges because their charges fall under Economic Crime Control Act.
The magistrate told the accused persons that they would be able to enter plea to the charges if the matter would be referred to the High Court for trial or upon the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) issuing a certificate to authorise the Subordinate Court to hear and determine the matter.
He also informed them that the DPP has issued a certificate to object bail to the accused persons at the moment on the ground that once provisionally released would jeopardise the public interests. Under such circumstances, therefore, the magistrate ordered them to go to remand.
The case will be mentioned on July 13, as investigations, according to the prosecution, have not been completed. It is alleged that between June 1 and 23, this year, in the city, the two accused persons conspired to commit offences of unlawful possession and transportation of government trophies.
On June 23, this year, at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Ilala District, Mansour and Kafumu, who works with the authority as security officer and hence being a public official, jointly allegedly intentionally furthered a criminal racket of unlawful possession and transportation of government trophies.
The prosecution, led by Principal State Attorney Faraja Nchimbi and State Attorney Paul Kadushi, further told the court that on the same day, Mansour was found in possession of 173 tortoises valued at 27,005,300/-, property of the government without a permit from the Director of Wildlife in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.
Meanwhile, a businessman, Charles Andrew Samila, was arraigned before the same court accused of trafficking a narcotic drug, Heroin Hydrochloride, valued at 79m/-.