Why police reason for holding journalist Erick Kabendera does not fly
Dar es Salaam. Police claims that they are holding Journalist Erick Kabendera over his citizenship continue to elicit more questions than answers.
While Dar es Salaam Regional Police Commander Lazaro Mambosasa says they are questioning the journalist about his citizenship, news reports show that the immigration department cleared such claims in the past.
In 2013, the then Home Affairs minister, Emmanuel Nchimbi issued a public statement clearing Mr Kabendera of claims that he was not a Tanzanian.
The statement issued on the minister’s behalf by the immigration department said the journalist’s citizenship as well as that of his parents was not questionable.
Mr Nchimbi them ordered two officials of the immigration department who had subjected Kabendera to a probe over his nationality be disciplined for harassing the family.
The minister observed that the illegal probe had been influenced by a row between the journalist and the late business mogul Reginald Mengi.
Yesterday, Mr Mambosasa did not give the exact reason why it was the police and not the immigration department that was investigating Mr Kabendera’s citizenship.
The immigration people have so far not commented on the matter.
In the 2013 saga, the then director of complaints in the immigration department, Mr Augustine Shio, said that the whole exercise to determine the citizenship of Mr Kabendera and that of his parents was ill-advised and was not handled professionally.
He said, according to the ministry’s information, the citizenship of Mr Kabendera and his parents were not questionable.
A team was formed by Mr Nchimbi to investigate the matter following complaints from Mr Kabendera and the Journalists without Borders.
Mr Shio revealed that money was paid to the two immigration officers by an external source to probe Mr Kabendera, but noted that it was not illegal.
