Mramba and Yona jail term reduced to two years

Dar es Salaam. The High Court on Friday reduced a three year sentence facing former cabinet ministers, Basil Mramba (76) and Daniel Yona (75) to two years.
The High Court reached its decision following appeals filed by the former ministers after  the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court had sentenced the two to three years in jail in July.

The former ministers we accused of abuse of office leading to the loss of  Sh11.5 million by the government.
In his July 6 ruling, magistrate of the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court John Utamwa had dismissed former Energy and Minerals PS, Gray Mgonja after being satisfied that he wasn’t involved in the charges against him.
Projest Rugazia of the High Court on Friday said that the court had accepted the duo's plea that the section used to convict them was contrary to punishment issued by the court.
Judge Rugazia dismissed arguments submitted by petitioners asking the court to completely annul the judgment by the Kisutu Resident’s Magistrate Court saying evidences brought before the court were enough to convict them.
In another development, The High Court has rejected government’s appeal against ruling by the Kisutu Resident’s Magistrate Court to let free former PS, Gray Mgonja charged alongside the former ministers.
Judge Rugazia said there were no wrongdoing with the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in letting former PS, Mgonja walk free as evidences bought before the court were unsatisfactory to convict him.