In Summary
The advocate added that upon Sheikh Ponda’s
arrival at the court premises on board a police vehicle, they followed
him and introduced themselves that they were ready to help him and
subsequently informed him of his rights in court.
Dar/Morogoro. The family of the secretary of the
Council of Islamic Organisations in Tanzania, Sheikh Ponda Issa Ponda,
has disowned lawyers who on Monday came forward before the Morogoro
Resident Magistrate’s Court to defend the cleric in his incitement case.
His lawyer, Mr Juma Nassor, pointed out that the
said lawyers just showed up at the court but there was no prior
communication with the family of the controversial cleric whatsoever.
“Maybe they just wanted to help him in good faith ,
for the police had flown my client without even giving him time to
communicate with me,’’ said Mr Nassor.
Contacted yesterday, Sheikh Ponda’s family
spokesman, Mr Isihaka Rashid, said he had no idea who the lawyers were
and insisted that the only lawyer that the family recognises is Mr Juma
Nassor.
Speaking on behalf of his colleague, Mr
Bartholomeo Tarimo, who represented Sheikh Ponda at the Morogoro court
on Monday, said he was contacted by people close to the cleric to help
the man immediately after the police whisked him to Morogoro from Dar es
Salaam in a helicopter. However, he declined to name the person who
phoned him. He said: “I can’t disclose the caller; but all I can say is
that we were requested to come to his rescue because there was nobody to
help him.”
The advocate added that upon Sheikh Ponda’s
arrival at the court premises on board a police vehicle, they followed
him and introduced themselves that they were ready to help him and
subsequently informed him of his rights in court.
Yesterday, Mr Nassor said procedures to file an
application in Morogoro for Sheikh Ponda’s bail were underway and that
tomorrow he would be at the court to ensure that his client was out. The
sheikh, who was injured on August 10 during a fracas between his
supporters and police was flown to Morogoro on Monday.
, where he was charged with three counts of incitement, defying a legal order and instigating religious hatred.
source; the citizen
source; the citizen
