Mbowe questioned over 'sedition'

Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) national Chairman Freeman Mbowe was yesterday held at Police Headquarters in Dar es Salaam  and questioned over allegedly seditious remarks he made on Sunday.

 

Mbowe was summoned by the police for interrogation following the party’s announcement of plans to conduct countrywide protests and strikes if the ongoing Constituent Assembly sessions will not be halted with immediate effect.

 

Mbowe arrived at the heavily guarded Police Headquarters at around 11am accompanied by a panel of the opposition party’s lawyers along with a host of Chadema followers.

 

Chadema’s Deputy Secretary General   John Mnyika  subsequently briefed reporters  that  police are accusing Mbowe with sedition on the basis that his call for nationwide demonstrations and strikes threatens national security and peace.

 

Mnyika said Mbowe was required to give a statement over the accusation but he declined as advised by his lawyers.

 

Later on, Chadema Director of Law Tundu Lissu urged their supporters gathered at the police headquarters to disperse and informed them that their leader had been granted bail. 

 

In a related development, police in Dodoma Region were yesterday forced to close the Dodoma- Morogoro highway following a demonstration threat by members of Chadema in the capital who planned to match from the town centre to the parliament premises to protest the ongoing constitution review process.

 

The highway which runs by the parliament buildings was put under tight security from early morning, forcing passenger buses to seek out alternative routes.

Police were on high alert and patrolled town centres in the region as they did the parliament grounds with armed police, guard dogs and horses.

 

According to the Chadema Regional Chairman for Dodoma Jella Mambo, the party had submitted a letter to the Police on Tuesday (September 16) requesting for a permit to conduct a peaceful demonstration yesterday (September 18) but they were denied the permit on account that they requested the permit on short notice.  

 

However, in his clarification official had said, Acting Regional Police Commander Emmanuel Lukula said the main reason the demonstrations were prohibited was the fact that the requested demonstration day (yesterday) was a working day.

 

However, as the Chadema official reported, the RPC confirmed that another reason for the denial was on the basis that the permit request was ‘submitted late.’

“They are supposed to submit the request 24 hours prior to the date of demonstration,” explained the RPC.

 

Chadema Regional Chairman Mambo went on to allege that all community radios in the region were yesterday switched off following his interviews with two radio stations in which he influenced the public to participate in the demonstrations. 

 

Meanwhile, police have arrested more than 10 people in relation to the planned demonstrations yesterday in Dodoma town. 

 

A Chadema vehicle with registration number T 792 CAX was also impounded and four members of the party apprehended by police.