Nyalandu narrates his arrest

Singida. Former Singida North lawmaker Lazaro Nyalandu has narrated his arrest by the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) officers saying he and his colleagues were questioned for over two hours.

Mr Nyalandu, who is a Chadema cadre, was arrested on Monday by the officers, in Itaja Ward in Singida North and held for interrogation by police in Singida Town before he was bailed out at noon yesterday. Speaking to The Citizen, Mr Nyalandu said he was seized while attending an indoor meeting with 29 youth in Itaja Village, Singida North Constituency. 

Narrating, he claimed when the officers stormed the meeting, they demanded to see Chadema’s regional chairman.

He said, Shaban Lyimo, who is the regional chairman stood up and explained to the officers that they were having an ordinary meeting on party issues.

“They first wanted to know whether we had a permit to hold the meeting. He told them that it was an internal meeting and needed no permit.

“They then said that they were from the PCCB and were looking for some people. They pointed at me, and David Jumbe and they said ‘we need you and the chairman as well’,” recounted Mr Nyalandu.

He claimed further that after taking them to Singida Town, they started grilling them over corruption issues.

“We were questioned for over two hours and only granted bail at 10pm and ordered to return in the morning.

“As we were about to leave, the OCS received a call from the OCD, who ordered our bail cancelled. So, we spent the night at the police station,” said Mr Nyalandu.

“CCM is scared of Chadema, and this is why it is abusing security organs by using them to harass and discourage us. As we continued with out meeting, CCM members were also meeting outside. The officers didn’t go there, they came after us,” he claimed.

However, Singida Regional Police Commander Sweetbert Njewike said: “We had no problem with the suspects as PCCB just asked us for a place, where we could keep them and we did our job.”