Court denies bail for a students’ network chairman

Iringa. Tanzania Student Network Mr Abdul Nondo has been sent back to remand prison after Iringa Magistrate Court denied him bail, for his own safety.

Delivering the ruling, the Iringa Resident Magistrate Mr John Mpitanjia said the court will rule on Mr Nondo’s bail application on March 26.

Mr Nondo is accused of disseminating false information on social media on March 7 that his life was in danger and that he was kidnapped; something that created public tension.

However, Mr Nondo denied the charges, which were read before him by state attorney Abeid Mwandalamo.

 Mr Nondo was transferred to Iringa on Tuesday night, his lawyer Mr Jebra Kambole, told The Citizen.

Mr Nondo, 24, was reported missing on March 6, 2018 and reports of his disappearance went viral on social media.

The reports suggested that the student was abducted by unknown people while in Dar es Salaam.

A day later, he was found alive in Mafinga District, Iringa Region after presenting himself at a police station.

Police in Iringa embarked on an investigation to determine the truth behind the student’s claim that he had been abducted. Police suspected that Mr Nondo may have made false claims.

The Police alleged Mr Nondo had intended to convince his fellow students to violate the laws of the land.

On March 10, Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Paul Makonda called upon police in Iringa to release the suspect and urged them to transfer him to Dar es Salaam for further interrogations.