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CUF criticises police over MwanaHalisi
2008-07-21 09:14:16
By Hellen Nachilongo
The Civic United Front (CUF) has condemned the Police Force for storming into the offices of MwanaHalisi newspaper and confiscating a computer, saying the offence, which Saed Kubenea, the paper`s managing editor, is alleged to have committed, is so petty.
Talking to reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday, CUF Chairman Ibrahim Lipumba said it was unfair for the police to react so harshly to a minor allegation, while taking no action at all against public leaders being accused of swindling huge amounts of tax payers` money.
He said it was obvious that the government was still tolerating corruption because senior government officers who were directly implicated in grand corruption scandals were left untouched.
On the contrary, the Police Force has been merciless to people of low ranks suspected to have committed trivial offences, Prof Lipumba said.
On Friday, four police detectives stormed into the offices of MwanaHaisi newspaper in Kinondoni, Dar es Salaam and took away a computer used by the paper`s managing editor.
MwanaHalisi Managing Editor Saed Kabana said the four claimed they were looking for a document connected to a suspect they named as Peter Msaki, whom they said worked with the paper.
Director of Criminal Investigations Robert Manumba told reporters over the weekend that Kubenea was suspected of colluding with an employee of the National Bank of Commerce Peter Msaki to reveal confidential information on the bank`s customers.
Manumba said the NBC management had registered some complaints that some of their customers account details were revealed to the public by MwanaHalisi.
He said although access to information was the right of any person, that particular individual had to abide to the laws of the land before publishing personal details of any person.
Some few months ago MwanaHalisi editor Saed Kubenea and consulting editors Ndimara Tegambwage were attacked by a group of thugs who splashed an alleged acidic chemical on them and also stabbed them.
When asked to respond to Prof Lipumba`s remarks that the police were shying away from arresting grand corruption suspects but were quick to take action against alleged petty offenders, Manumba said he had no comments.
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