It is claimed that on the fateful day, the soldiers arrived from Nachingwea alongside a nurse of the military hospital, who had brought their colleague for treatment at the Lugalo Military Hospital after being seriously injured in a motorbike accident.
Dar es Salaam. The state has said evidence over a murder case facing a former officer of the Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF), Ramadhani Mlaku is ready.
Mlaku is accused of shooting dead Simon Nestory Mnyama, who was a fellow soldier on October 30, 2017 night while on duty at the army’s Upanga Headquarters (Ngome).
According to investigation reports, the accused was claimed to have shot the soldier in different parts of the body, including the chest.
The accused faces the murder case at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam, where it was filed for committal proceedings before it was transferred to the High Court for hearing.
On Thursday, the case file was officially opened at the Kisutu Court and transferred to the High Court for hearing after the completion of investigations.
“For now we are shifting you to the High Court, where your case will be heard. So, that means you will not come here again and you will remain remanded until the High Court sets the date of hearing your case, according to the proceedings of your case,” court’s Principal Resident Magistrate Kassian Matembele told the accused after witnesses’ evidence was read to him.
Before the court officially announced the transfer of the case to the High Court, prosecution put clear the evidence that it would use in the case hearing including its exhibits.
Prosecution’s evidence was put clear by State attorney Grace Mwanga while reading statements of all witnesses expected to be called up by the side to give evidence in the case.
According to the witnesses’ statements, Mlaku killed Simon by shooting him when the latter and fellow officers were trying to rescue their colleagues, who were put under arrest by the accused, who subjected them to different punishments.
It is claimed that on the fateful day, the soldiers arrived from Nachingwea alongside a nurse of the military hospital, who had brought their colleague for treatment at the Lugalo Military Hospital after being seriously injured in a motorbike accident.
At the Lugalo Hospital, doctors, after realizing that the patient was in a serious condition, directed that the patient be transferred to Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) for further medical attention.
However, for the patient to be transferred to MNH, a permit was supposed to be issued from the military headquarters.
According to the statements, the doctors went to the TPDF (Ngome) Headquarters together with the patient in an ambulance and after arriving they had forgotten some documents in the ambulance.
As they returned to the ambulance to collect the documents, they met the accused, who was on duty and the latter started questioning them on why they were at the army headquarters. Prosecution said the soldier and those who had brought the patient fell into a misunderstanding and that was when he allegedly took them prisoners and shot dead one.
Most of the witnesses of the Prosecution in the case are TPDF officers stationed at the army’s headquarters at Upanga including the army’s other officers from Nachingwea, who had brought their colleague for treatment after being involved in the accident and some police officers of Dar es Salaam.
