Six community patrol guards sentenced to death for murder
What you need to know:
- The condemned individuals are Samwel Mgomelwa, identified as the commander of the Sungusungu group, Ramadhan Idd, Manda Ulinje, Amini Masilimu, Elia Lendama, and Anderson Chuyo.
Babati. A court in Babati has sentenced six members of community patrol, known as ‘Sungusungu’, to death for the brutal murder of a man they accused of cattle theft.
Judge Gladys Barthy delivered the verdict on March 5, 2024, at the High Court Registry in Manyara region.
The case relied heavily on the written confessions of all six defendants, which detailed their involvement in the killing.
The condemned individuals are Samwel Mgomelwa, identified as the commander of the Sungusungu group, Ramadhan Idd, Manda Ulinje, Amini Masilimu, Elia Lendama, and Anderson Chuyo.
The judge informed them of their right to appeal the verdict.
The incident occurred on September 2, 2020, in the Kazingumu area of Laalaa Village, Kiteto District.
The victim, Njokuti Moringe, also known as Mbaazi, was killed and buried by the accused.
The prosecution presented evidence from 11 witnesses and eight exhibits, including the defendants' confessions and the victim's mobile phone.
In her judgment, Judge Barthy highlighted the significance of the defendants' confessions, stating their detailed and consistent nature, further corroborated by other testimonies.
Additionally, claims of coercion by the defendants were dismissed due to a lack of supporting evidence.
Three other individuals initially charged were acquitted due to insufficient independent evidence linking them to the crime.
