Police quiz Mbowe, Lowassa after stopping party meeting

Dar es Salaam. Chadema National Chairman Freeman Mbowe and former Chadema presidential flag bearer Edward Lowassa  and other party leaders were interrogated at the Central Police Station after police ordered the stoppage of the  party’s Central Committee meeting which was taking place in a hotel in the city.
Police arrived at the venue where the meeting was taking place at around 2pm and ordered Chadema to call off the meeting because it was illegal. Speaking outside the Central Police station some Chadema CC members said after calling off the meeting police escorted the entire committee members to the central police station.  According to Chadema lawyer Tundu Lissu, upon their arrival at Central police they were told only those who were seated at the high table will be interrogated.
Apart from Mr Mbowe and Mr Lowassa, others who were interrogated include Chadema Secretary General Dr Vincent Mashinji, party vice chairman (Isles) Said Issa Mohamed as well as Chadema deputy secretary general (Mainland) John Mnyika.
Speaking to the media near the police station, Chadema women’s wing (Bawacha) chairperson Ms Halima Mdee said they called the meeting in order to discuss whether to continue with their plans to hold ‘defiance rallies’ across the country starting from September 1. Ms Mdee said the meeting was attended by over 100 people.  
In the wake of the killing of four policemen by gunmen at CRDB bank Mbande branch police banned internal meetings of political parties saying they are being used to plot violence.
Commissioner for Training and Operations Nsato Mssanzya said this on Wednesday, stressing that the decision was reached after detecting the misuse of these meetings.
The Chadema leaders were released on police bail at around 7.20pm . Speaking to reporters after they were released Mr Mbowe said they were interrogated for contempt of police order which banned political meetings.