President Jakaya Kikwete
In Summary
- According to Mr Jundu, low capacity of investigators, prosecutors and judges as well as poor finances were contributing factors.
Dar es Salaam. Stung by criticism of his
administration’s faltering war against drugs, President Jakaya Kikwete
is leading a renewed campaign to stamp out the illicit trade, The
Citizen on Sunday can report.
President Kikwete is keen to give a new push to
key agencies tasked with the responsibility of tackling the menace and
now wants to see immediate action to fight the illicit trade that has
tarnished the national image.
The head of state has apparently demanded to know the number of all drug-related court cases and their respective stages.
The Citizen on Sunday has established that the
head of state recently summoned several ministers and heads of Judiciary
and the police to a meeting in which he demanded accountability on the
war against drug traffickers.
Earlier this week, a meeting was held between the
State House-based presidential task force on drugs and top officials
from the Judiciary, the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
(DPP) and head of anti-drugs unit during which the main agenda was how
to implement tough demands by the President.
As a result of President Kikwete’s personal
pressure, The Citizen on Sunday can reveal that the Judiciary is making
adjustments that will see a big number of drug cases pending in courts
heard and determined promptly.
The move, according to the sources, will see all drug cases receiving a special consideration in planning court sessions.
The court plans to accommodate as many
drug-related cases as possible to ensure quick hearing and
determination. The piling up of such cases and sloppy handling of others
have raised alarm and had President Kikwete demanding that police and
Judiciary act robustly.
Our sources said the President has warned that he
would adopt a tough stance in the war against drug trafficking after
assessing the performance of the organs.
There has been growing concern that drug traffickers were easily securing freedom or bail in blatant disregard of the law.
Two weeks ago, this paper reported how some senior
government and Judiciary officials have put pressure on prosecutors to
drop or interfere with drug cases. The Judiciary has also been accused
of lethargy, with some drug cases dragging for years .
But the Judiciary is pointing to “poorly-prepared” cases for the frustration in the corridors of justice.
“Our duty as the Judiciary cannot start until other players like
prosecutors and investigators have done their job. So proper
investigations and prosecution must be put into consideration,”
Principal Judge Fakih Jundu told The Citizen on Sunday.
Mr Jundu said: “They make weak legal preparation
to warrant a smooth hearing and determination of the cases but turn
around blaming the courts. That’s where the problem starts.”
Low capacity and lack of funds
According to Mr Jundu, low capacity of investigators, prosecutors and judges as well as poor finances were contributing factors.
But he admitted plans were underway to speed up
the hearing of the cases and acknowledged “there was some communications
with Ikulu on the issue.”
“There are constant consultations between the Chief Justice and the President to see how we can move forward,” he said.
DPP Eliezer Feleshi separately told this paper
that he would not be drawn into a blame game but said there was a need
to wipe out bad elements in institution responsible for the drug war.
“We need a collective approach by institutions and the community in fighting drugs if we are to win this fight.
There are bad elements among us that we need to remove,” he said.
He declined to comment directly on the pressure coming from the State House when asked.
He said: “The President is the supreme leader.
Institutions entrusted with any work should not wait to be pushed. We
are always on the ground.”
