TLS blames police for blasts at law firm offices

Tanganyika Law Society president Tundu Lissu addresses a news conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday. PHOTO | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

What you need to know:

  • The TLS President, Tundu Lissu, told reporters yesterday that people dressed in police uniforms arrived at the IMMMA Advocates offices and asked the guards to let them inter the building.
  • According to Mr Lissu, the alleged police officers told the guards that they were after a bandit, who was hiding in the premises, but shortly after they left the area, a huge explosion occurred, destroying the offices.

Dar es Salaam. The Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) has accused the police of being involved in Saturday’s “bombing” of IMMMA Advocates offices, which are located along the United Nations Road.

The TLS President, Tundu Lissu, told reporters yesterday that people dressed in police uniforms arrived at the IMMMA Advocates offices and asked the guards to let them inter the building.

According to Mr Lissu, the alleged police officers told the guards that they were after a bandit, who was hiding in the premises, but shortly after they left the area, a huge explosion occurred, destroying the offices.

“People dressed in police uniforms showed up at the premise and asked the security guards to enter the building, claiming that they wanted to arrest a person according to them was involved in a shoot-out,” he said.

Reached for his comment, Acting Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Mr Lucas Mkondya played down the allegation.

“There is no truth in the allegation, the police have never and will never be involved in such criminal activities…we are continuing with our investigation and hopefully we will identify the perpetrators of the incident,” said Mr Mkondya in a telephone interview with The Citizen.

Mr Lissu disclosed that the TLS governing council convened in an emergency meeting immediately after the explosion.

The firebrand lawmaker added that the TLS governing council resolved to meet with the minister for Constitution and Legal Affairs, Attorney General (AG), Inspector General of Police (IGP), acting Chief Justice (ACJ) and Director General of Tanzania Intelligence and Security Services (TISS) to discuss the matter. The body also directed lawyers not to attend cases on Tuesday and Wednesday in protest of IMMMA Advocates ‘bombing’.

The offices of IMMMA Advocates were hit by two explosions at 2am on Saturday, in an incident that shocked the legal fraternity and raised questions on the motive of the attackers.