Lema defamation case files forwarded to DPP

Arusha. Arusha District Court today August 21 failed to hear two cases facing Arusha Urban Member of Parliament, Godbless Lema because of lack of the case files.

The court was told that files for cases number 440/2016 and 441/2016 which faces the MP, have been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) office for perusal.

In the cases Lema is accused of uttering defamatory statements against President John Magufuli.

It was scheduled earlier that the case would be brought at the court today for preliminary hearing because investigations into it has already been completed.

However, before senior Resident magistrate, Devota Msofe, state attorney,

Agnes Hiera, informed the court that they were not ready for preliminary hearing because the files were with DPP.

After the statement, defence lawyer, Sheck Mfinaga, asked the court to issue last adjournment. He noted that the cases have dragged for long time.

On May 29, this year, Resident Magistrate Desdery Kamugisha withdrew from entertaining one of the cases, in which Mr Lema is accused of inflammatory statements on October 23, last year at a public rally.

In another case, Lema stand charged of issuing yet another inciting statement when addressing a separate rally at Kambi ya

Fisi area in Ngarenaro ward.