Mwanyika, co-accused complain to court on investigations

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The defence in a case facing former president of Pangea, North Mara, Exploration and Bulyanhulu mines, Deogratius Mwanyika, and co-accused has asked the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court to order the Prosecution to tell the court about the stage it has reached in its investigations

Dar es Salaam. The defence in a case facing former president of Pangea, North Mara, Exploration and Bulyanhulu mines, Deogratius Mwanyika, and co-accused has asked the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court to order the Prosecution to tell the court about the stage it has reached in its investigations.

Defence lawyer Alex Mgongolwa has told the court today on January 18, 2019 before the court’s Magistrate-in-Charge, Kelvin Mhina, after state attorney Erick Shija told the court that the investigations into the case had not been completed.

"Whenever this case is mentioned we are told that its investigations have not been completed. So, we are asking your court to order the Prosecution to tell the court as to which stage it has so far reached in its investigations so that we can also know," advocate Mgongolwa told the court.

However, state attorney Shija told the court that the case’s investigations had reached a good stage and that they would give a feedback when the case would come up again for mention.

After listening to both parties, Magistrate Mhina adjourned the case until February 1, this year, and ordered the Prosecution to come and tell the court about the stage of the investigations they had reached.

Mwanyika and co-accused are facing 39 charges including those of money laundering and evading a tax of over $112 million.

Besides Mwanyika, the co-accused in the case are Bulyanhulu Mine public relations manager Alex Lugendo,  executive director of Pongea, North Mara and Bulyanhuku Mines Assa Mwaipopo and Pangea, North Mara, Exploration and Bulyanhulu mining firms.