VIKAO VYA MAHAKAMA RUFANI

OFISI ya Mkurugenzi mkuu wa mashitaka nchini (DPP), imeiondoa rmahakamani rufaa iliyokata kwenye mahakama ya rufaa ya Tanzania, dhidi ya Philbert Mtweve aliyeomba rushwa ya sh. 15,000 kwa mwalimu wa Shule ya Msingi Kennedy Rubindu.


Wakili wa serikali, Vicent Tangoh, aliomba kuondoa rufaa hiyo kupitia kanuni ya 4(ii)(a) ya mwaka 2009 ya mahakama ya rufaa, mbele ya majaji watatu waliokuwa wakisikiliza rufaa hiyo, Edward Rutakangwa, Natalia Kimaro na William Mandia.


"Awali tuliwasilisha taarifa ya kuondoa rufaa hii kwa kanuni ya 77(i) na tukagundua kanuni hiyo sio sahihi kuitumia kwani inaeleza kuondoa rufaa kwa msajili na sio mahakama ya rufaa, hivyo sasa tunaomba kwa kupitia kanuni ya rufaa kuondoa rufaa hii," Tangoh aliwaeleza majaji hao mahakamani hapo.


Baada ya ombi hilo, Jaji Rutakangwa alishauriana na wenzake na kukubaliana na ombi hilo na kuamua kuondoa rufaa hiyo iliyokuwa imekatwa na DPP.


Awali mwaka 2001, Mtweve alidaiwa na mahakama ya Wilaya ya Mbinga kuwa alichukua rushwa ya sh. 15,000 kutoka kwa Rubindu aliyekuwa mwalimu wa shule ya msingi ili amsaidie kumhamishia katika shule ya maeneo ya karibu na wazazi wake.


Hata hivyo, mahakama hiyo ilimuachia huru Mtweve baada ya kukosekana ushahidi lakini serikali kupitia makahama kuu walikata rufaa na Jaji Manento alitoa uamuzi mwaka 2002 wa kuona mshtakiwa hana hatia na baadaye DPP tena akakata rufaa kwenye mahakama ya rufaa Tanzania kupinga maamuzi hayo, lakini mwanasheria wake ameondoa rufaa hiyo mahakamani.


Wakati huohuo,Rufaa ya Yassin Thomas wa Songea ya kupinga kunyongwa hadi kufa iliyotolewa mwaka 2007 baada ya kumuua Mwanaidi Abdallah mwaka 2004, iliyokuwa isikilizwe leo kwenye mahakama ya rufaa ya Tanzania iliyoketi Iringa imesogezwa mbele hadi Ijumaa (Agosti 20), baada ya wakili wa kujitegemea, Basil Mkwata kuomba ili aweze kupitia sababu za rufani hiyo.


"Mwenyekiti, nilikuwa Dodoma katika kikao cha nusu mwaka cha mawakili na nikiwa njiani kurudi nikaambiwa nipitie hapa kuna rufaa na sijapata muda wa kupitia faili la kesi hii, naomba ipangwe siku nyingine ili niweze kusoma sababu za rufaa," aliomba Mkwata kwa Mwenyekiti wa jopo hilo la majaji.


Hatahivyo wakili wa serikali Michael Lwena alipendekeza isikilizwe Agosti 27, lakini Jaji Rutakangwa baada ya kujadiliana na wenzake walipanga kuwa Ijumaa, huku akimtaka wakili huyo kuhakikisha anasoma sababu hizo kwani ameahirisha kwa shingo upande kutokana na mahakama hiyo kuwa na rufaa nyingi zisizotoa muda wa mapumziko.


Mahakama hiyo iliyoanza jana inajumla ya rufaa 30 ambazo za jinai ni 24 na zilizobaki ni za madai na inatarajiwa kumalizika Septemba 6.
MWISHO
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UPUNGUFU wa majaji wa mahakama ya rufaa ya Tanzania unasababisha rufaa nyingi kuchukua muda mrefu kusikilizwa na kutolewa maamuzi, imeelezwa.


Naibu Msaijili wa mahakama ya Rufaa Tanzania, John Mgetta alibainisha hayo leo mara baada ya kikao cha kusikilizwa rufaa zilizokatwa na pande mbalimbali wakipinga maamuzi ya mahakama kuu, kilichokaa Iringa na kujumuisha pia rufaa za Songea.


Mgetta alisema majaji hao wapo 16 pekee ambapo wanatakiwa kujigawa katika kanda 10 huku Dar es Salaam ikiwa na majaji sita tofauti na kanda nyingine ambao ni watatu pekee.


Alisema majaji hao 16 wanatakiwa kutoa maamuzi katika kanda za Arusha, Dodoma, Tanga, Mbeya, Sumbawanga, Mwanza, Tabora, Mtwara, Dar es Salaam na Iringa.


Alitoa mfano wa Kanda Iringa inayokaa mara moja kwa mwaka ikijumuisha rufaa za Iringa na Songea rufaa zake zimeanza jana ambazo zipo 30 na zinasikilizwa na majaji watatu, Edward Rutakangwa, Natalia Kimaro na William Mandia na zitamalizika Septemba 6.


"Angalia mtu kakata rufaa tangu mwaka 2008 mwaka huu ndo inaanza kusikilizwa na hii ni sababu ya majaji wachache kwani kama wangekuwa wengi ingekuwa imeshaisha," alisema Mgetta.
MWISHO
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IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF TANZANIA AT IRINGA

THE THREE panel of Justice of Appeal have starting hearing both criminal and civil cases in the Court of Appeal of Tanzania at Iringa, it has been established.


The three of judges including Edward Rutakangwa (chairman of the panelists), Natalia Kimaro and William Mandia have started hearing criminal and civil cases in the court of appeal of Tanzania at Iringa on Monday.


According to the Deputy Registrar of Court of Appeal John Mgetta, the cause list of sessions will involve a total of 30 cases, that is 24 criminal and six civil cases from 16th August until 6th September, 2010 for judgments, rulings and orders respectively.


However, in the court of appeal of Tanzania at Iringa three justice of appeal in the first session have heard two criminal appeals including Case No. 61/2008 involving The Director Public Prosecution (DPP) versus Philbert Mtweve involving corruption since 2002 in Songea.


The Case No.61/2008 was withdrawn because both the two had never appeared in court since then.


The second case with No.63/2008, Yassin Thomas Nyumayo versus The Republic of Tanzania and it is a murder case but it was applied for the appeal since 2004.


In that case Nyumayo was accused murdering Mwanaidi Abdullah of Mshangano Village in Songea, Ruvuma Region, and sentenced to death by hanging before the Judge Lameck Uzea.


However, the case was adjourned until 29th August, 2010 because his private Lawyer, Basil Mkwata asked the court to push forward to the next date because he did not go through the case.


The Court of Appeal of Tanzania at Iringa is done once a year.


Meanwhile, the Deputy Registrar of the Court of Appeal, John Mgetta told reporters yesterday the country is facing a crisis of justice of appeal hence making the criminal and civil appeals to take longer to be heard.


He noted that there are only 16 justice of appeal in Tanzania but 10 zones of court of appeals of Tanzania and in each zone three judges were to hear the appeal cases.