Jamii Forum case stalls as defence team fails to bring witnesses

Dar es Salaam. A case of blocking the Police Force from conducting an investigation facing the executive director ofJamii Forum, a popular social media platform, Mr Maxence Melo and colleague Micke William has not proceeded following failure by the defence to bring its witnesses at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court.

Senior state attorney Patrick Mwita told the court’s Resident Magistrate-in-Charge Thomas Simba that the case came up for hearing.

Defence lawyer Jeremiah Mtobesya alleged in court that the defence failed to prepare its witnesses yesterday because he had another case to attend to at the High Court.

"The case has come up for hearing, but my fellow lawyer Kibatala (Peter) and I were unable to prepare our witnesses yesterday because we had another case to attend to at the High Court. So,I ask Your Honour to set another day," lawyerMr Mtobesya told the Magistrate.

After the defence argument, Magistrate Simba adjourned the case until March 19, this year, and wanted the defence to bring its witnesses so that the case could be completed because, according to the magistrate it had lasted for too long since it was opened on December 19,2016.

Already four witnesses from the Prosecution have testified against the accusedwhom the court found to have a case to answer.

In the principal case, the accused are alleged to have blocked the Police Force to conduct its investigation, which is contrary to section no. 22 (2) of Cyber Crime Act no. 14 of 2015.

The accused are alleged to have committed the offence between April 1, 2016 and December 13, 2016 in the area of Mikocheni in Kinondoni District.