Court sets ‘Hassanoo’ free

Dare es Salaam. The Kisutu Resident Magistrates’ Court in Dar es Salaam has acquitted former Simba Sports Club secretary general, Hassan Othman and two others of three charges, including theft of copper worth Sh395 million.

Delivering the judgment yesterday, resident magistrate Devotha Kisoka, said the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove that the accused committed the offences.

“The prosecution failed to prove that the accused committed the offences.

The court, therefore, finds  the accused not guilty and sets them free,” said magistrate Kisoka.

Othman, popularly known as Hassanoo, is also Coast Regional Football Association (Corefa) chairman. The other accused in the case were Wambura Mahenga and Bajim Msenga. According to the prosecution, it was alleged that on August 26, last year at Bahari Beach in Kinondoni District, the accused conspired to commit an offence of stealing goods on transit contrary to section number 258 and 259 (c) of the penal code. It was further alleged that, on the same date and place, the accused stole 26 ingots of copper worth Sh397 million, property of Liberty Express (T) Ltd.

The ingots were allegedly loaded on a lorry with registration number T 821 BCL and Trailer number T 566 BCZ. The lorry was on transit from Zambia to Tanzania.

It was further alleged that, on the same date and place, the accused received 26 tonnes of copper minerals knowing that the mineral had been stolen or  was unlawfully obtained.

In her judgment, read by resident magistrate Sundi Fimbo, Kisoka said that among 13 witnesses produced by  the prosecution, there was no witness who proved that the defendants met or communicated with the aim of conspiring to commit the offences.