Court postpones ruling on Lissu bail

Dar es Salaam. Singida East MP, Mr Tundu Lissu will remain in custody until Thursday when his bail application will be determined, the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court ruled yesterday.

Mr Lissu, who is also the president of the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS), was charged yesterday with uttering abusive words against the government. He denied the charge.

Resident Magistrate Wilbard Mashauri ordered the accused to remain in custody until July 27 when he will give the ruling following a long legal battle between prosecution and defence counsels regarding the legality of the accused to be granted bail.

State attorney Mutalemwa Kishenyi alleged that, the accused used abusive language to portray President John Magufuli’s government as discriminative and that it was being run on the basis of nepotism and religious affiliation.

The prosecution believes that the words are likely to stir up ethnic hatred. According to the charge sheet, Mr Lissu uttered the abusive words to wit top government leaders were being picked from President Magufuli’s family and urged Tanzanians to fearlessly reject the alleged phenomena.

The prosecution also alleged that the outspoken opposition MP urged development partners to cut their financial, economic and diplomatic support to cut the President Magufuli’s government because Tanzania no longer observes the rule of law, likening it with the oppressive apartheid government of South Africa.

After charges were read, the prosecution asked the court not to grant the accused bail on several grounds, including the accused’s habit of the repeatedly uttering seditious words when he is out on bail.

The prosecution argued that the accused faced several cases of seditious nature and has been doing such offences as he is out on bail.

The defence team led by advocate Ms Fatuma Karume and Mr Peter Kibatala strongly objected to the request, arguing bail is the basic right to the accused.

They further argued that the charges against their client were still allegations that are yet to be proved by the court.