Police denies leaked list of purged law keepers

Dar es Salaam. The Police Force has dismissed as fake the information circulating on the social media that purports to give a list of police officers who have been fired.

The information has been doing the rounds in numerous WhatsApp groups since yesterday, purporting to reveal names, ranks and identification numbers of the “sacked policemen”. It also claims that the listed officials have in effect, the named have been removed in the government payroll and awaiting further actions.

The Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Simon Siro told The Citizen through the phone yesterday that, he was not aware of the claims. He then directed the newspaper to find the spokesperson of the police force, Ms Advera Bulimba.

“I know nothing about the issue, and it is better you find our spokesperson to give you fresh details,” he said.

Ms Bulimba confirmed that the information is not true and warned that those who will continue circulating the text risk legal action. Such people, she said, would be regarded as suspects according to the Cybercrime Act, 2015. She aadised the public to delete the information once they recive it and refrain from sharing it. She went on to saying that the hunt is on and whoever is behind the spread of that message would be arrested and charged.

The Citizen called the phone number which has been placed at the bottom of the circulating message, clamming that it is from the department of communication and public awareness at the police headquarters in Dar es Salaam. However the number belonged to the Ilala Regional Police Commander Salum Hamdun who had also declined to have published it.

“I did not publish anything like that and I even don’t know why my number is there because I have not been in office since December last year,” he said.