Home Affairs minister Emmanuel Nchimbi
By Katare Mbashiru, The Citizen Reporter
Posted Monday, September 23 2013 at 07:58
Posted Monday, September 23 2013 at 07:58
In Summary
Eight armed robbers, including one in police
uniform, stormed the Habib Bank branch at the junction of Uhuru and
Livingstone streets.
Dar es Salaam. On August 28, 2013 at around 9am, a dramatic bank robbery took place in Dar es Salaam’s bustling Kariakoo area.
Eight armed robbers, including one in police
uniform, stormed the Habib Bank branch at the junction of Uhuru and
Livingstone streets.
The gun-totting gangsters ordered customers to lie
down and proceeded to grab bundles of cash from tellers’ cubicles and
the strongroom.
The gang fled with almost Sh1 billion in one of
the biggest bank robberies in Tanzania’s history. Almost a month later,
police have yet to make any headway in finding the culprits despite a
Sh100 million reward for information leading to the arrest of suspects.
The Kariakoo robbery is only one example in a
string of unsolved high-profile crimes that have put the beleaguered
Police Force under intense scrutiny in recent months. The list of
incidents also includes grenade and acid attacks, kidnap and torture.
Activists who spoke to The Citizen at the weekend
said serious crime was likely to escalate if police continued to appear
either powerless or reluctant to get to the bottom of recent incidents.
Asked to comment on allegations levelled against
police, Home Affairs minister Emmanuel Nchimbi said: “These are issues
that should be directed to the Director of Criminal Investigations and
Director of Public Prosecutions.
The DCI investigates and the latter prosecutes
offenders…How do you expect answers to such questions from a
politician?” he posed.
DCI Robert Manumba said he would only respond if
The Citizen sent him an official communication listing all cases where
police failed to carry out proper investigations.
Agenda Participation 2000 Executive Director Moses
Kulaba said corruption was a major factor hindering investigations into
crime.
“It is no secret that the Police Force is very
corrupt. Criminals capitalise on this to ensure they are never caught
and brought to justice.
There is also the issue of police lacking the required investigative skills,” he said.
Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) Executive Director Helen
Kijo-Bisimba accused police of being selective in investigating crime.
“We have witnessed such incidents as the killing
of Mwanza police boss Liberatus Barlow where police spare no effort or
expense in tracking down the culprits. Why shouldn’t this be the case
where police are not the victims?” she asked.
Ilala Regional Police Commander Marietha Minangi
said police had questioned and released on bond three people in
connection with the Habib Bank robbery.
But Habib Bank officials were not impressed. A
senior official, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals,
accused police of “incompetence”.
“I wonder what they have been doing until now. We
have almost given up...we’re not sure if we will ever get the money back
or whether the robbers will be arrested and taken to court,’’ he said.
Other incidents that have exposed the police
include the June 16 grenade attack at a Chadema rally in Arusha, which
killed four people.
Over three months have passed since the deadly attack, but police have yet to state whether they have arrested any suspects.
Questions are also being asked following a spate
of acid attacks in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar where several people were
seriously injured.
Police in Zanzibar said last week that they had
arrested 15 people following the acid attack on Catholic priest Anselm
Mwang’amba on September 13. However, none of the suspects has been
charged in court.
No significant progress has been made in
investigations into the acid attack on two young British volunteers in
Zanzibar on August 7, although sources said police had zeroed in on
three suspects.
In March, Tanzania Editors Forum chairman Absalom Kibanda was attacked and seriously wounded outside his house in Dar es Salaam.
Mr Kibanda, who was blinded in his left eye, spent
almost three months undergoing treatment in South Africa, but nobody
has been charged in connection with the assault.
In June, 2012, Dr Steven Ulimboka, doctors’ spokesman during
their countrywide strike last year, was abducted, tortured and left for
dead in Mabwepande forest, Dar es Salaam.
Kenyan national Joshua Mulundi was charged with
torture and attempted murder following the incident, but was acquitted
last month, leaving unanswered questions.
Police have strenuously denied claims linking them to the attacks on Mr Kibanda and Dr Ulimboka.
Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC)
Coordinator Onesmo Olengurumwa said police could not investigate crimes
in which they are suspects.
“These are suspects who are investigating
themselves. Nowhere else in the world is this acceptable. That’s why you
don’t see them arresting suspects,’’ he said.
SOURCE: THE CITIZEN
SOURCE: THE CITIZEN
