Police: We’re not targeting opposition, but curbing lawlessness
Dar es Salaam. The Police Force has refuted claims that it is targeting and using excessive force to silence opposition parties.
Instead it has said it is dealing with individuals breaking the law regardless of their political affiliations. Assistant Commissioner of Police and police spokesman Barnabas Mwakalukwa said this yesterday, when he visited Mwananchi
Communications Ltd for introduction purposes.
He explained that the police had no interest in individual cases, but looking at the overview, which included people breaking the law, peace and other related crimes.
He made a clarification, when asked about ongoing arrests involving opposition members, including Kawe MP Halima Mdee (Chadema), who was held in police custody for 48 hours against the law, Singida East MP Tundu Lissu (Chadema), among other several arrests and detention. On crime overview, he said criminal incidents in the country had dropped tremendously, especially those related to armed robbery and killings of people with albinism and the elderly.
“We are faced with rape, which is increasing day by day and members of the public should take caution with guests sleeping overnight and not place them in the same room or bed with their children,” he said.
According to him, such incidents, which involve relatives, take along time to reach the police and by that time the evidence is no longer feasible. He said the Police Force mandate was to detect, investigate and arrest the culprits and take them to court for legal action. He said it was the media’s role to ensure members of the public were well-informed and aware of the role of the police, stressing that if the media played its role well the country will continue to would enjoy peace and stability.
