Drama as terror suspects strip in Arusha court

Arusha. In a dramatic turn of events, terrorism suspects arraigned between 2012 and 2014, on Tuesday stripped of their clothes when brought to the court, arguing that investigations into their case have taken far too long.

The 61 accused persons, all together, were brought before the Arusha Resident Magistrate Court at 9:30am but before they embarked from the truck, some stripped naked protesting the time it has taken for investigations to be completed.

The prison warders acted swiftly before the embarrassing sight became public knowledge and took them straight into the remand lock up within the court premises and later into the court room.

However, this was not before they were forced to dress up.

Resident Magistrate Patricia Kisinda later adjourned the case to January 30, when it will come up for mention. This was after prosecution claimed that investigations were yet to be completed.

The accused were sent back to Kisongo Prison along the Dodoma Road on the outskirts of Arusha under tight security.

The 61 accused persons have been arraigned since 2012 in terrorism-related charges, of whom 13 have been accused of undertaking grenade attacks on the home of Sheikh Sudy Ally Sudi on July 13 of the same year in Arusha.

Thirteen others are facing charges of alleged killing of Judith Mushi, Ramadhan Juma, Fahad Jamal and Amir Daffa at Soweto Garden grounds in Arusha on June 15, 2013.

Ten others were allegedly found with explosives for bombs; while three suspects are alleged to have been recruiting youth in Arusha to join the Al Shabaab terror group in 2014.

The list also include eight suspects who in October 2012 twice attacked a local Muslim leader Sheikh Abdulkarim Njonjo with hand grenades, causing bodily harm on the cleric.