Lissu spends night behind bars following police grilling

Dar es Salaam. Firebrand opposition lawmaker Tundu Lissu spent a night in jail after being questioned by police in Dar es Salaam on Thursday on allegations of uttering seditious remarks.

He was arrested on Wednesday evening after addressing a rally in his Singida East constituency.

Singida Regional Police Commander Thobias Sedoyeka said Mr Lissu uttered inflammatory remarks at the meeting and mobilised his supporters to come out in big numbers during the party’s “Defiance Day” demonstrations slated for September 1.

“He said they should not be worried and insisted that the President has no power to call off political rallies,” he said. 

But Mr Peter Kibatala, a lawyer who attended the interrogation, said yesterday that Mr Lissu was quizzed for three hours between 3.30pm and 6.30pm, and was locked up for the night following remarks he made in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.

Even as he was being interrogated for alleged sedition yesterday, Mr Lissu was already facing two sedition cases.

After his arrest he was on the same night driven to Singida Municipality before spending the night in Dodoma on his way to Dar es Salaam for questioning.

Almost two hours later, police allowed Mr Lissu’s wife, Ms Alicia Magabe, to see him. Ms Magabe later told The Citizen that her husband was well and in high spirits.

Chadema chairman Freeman Mbowe and another party leader, former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa, arrived at Central Police Station but were not allowed to see Mr Lissu.