Detained ACT officials still in custody as Zitto protests

Dar/Kigoma. Three ACT- Wazalendo party officers remained in police custody for the second day yesterday as attempts to bail them out failed.

The three were arrested on Friday but the party leadership said they were yet to understand the reason behind the arrests.

 The Police yesterday confirmed to have detained the three officers but stated that the only office to discuss the matter was that of the Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI).

 The opposition party officials in police custody are: assistant information officer Dotto Rangimoto, elections officer Dahlia Majid and information and publicity Officer Arodia Peter, while the party’s National Campaign manager Emmanuel Mvula who went to the police station yesterday to bail them out was also questioned.

 Until yesterday afternoon, the officials had not been released as the party’s lawyers struggled  for the possibility of bailing them.

When Mwananchi spoke to Kinondoni District Police Commander Edward Bukombe, he claimed non-involvement despite confirming that they were holding the trio.

 “The Kinondoni Police Force is hold- ing them, but their case is with the DCI, Robert Boaz,” said Commander Bukombe.

“I can’t talk about it because it is not my case. We have procedures, if it was our case, we would have talked about it but that is completely not ours as we are only taking care of them,” he said without explaining the what the law says on number of hours of holding suspects before taking them to court.

When DCI, Robert Boaz was contacted by phone and sent a text message, there was no response by press time.

According to party’s Information, Publicity and Public Relations secretary Salim Bimani after questioning about the motives for the arrest of their officials, they were told it was something to do with cyber- crimes.

 ACT-Wazalendo urged the police to take the officers to court if they had committed an offense or release them unconditionally. Meanwhile, ACT-Wazalendo leader Zitto Kabwe on Friday at different occasions instructed party followers to support Chadema candidates in areas where they haven’t fielded candidates.

Zitto was campaigning for the party’s parliamentary candidate for Muhambwe constituency Julius Masabo along with that seeking votes for Chadema candidate for Kagezi ward Joseph Gwanko.

 “I call upon leaders, supporters and members of ACT-Wazalendo to support the Chadema candidates in various parts of the country where we haven’t fielded our candidates,” he said