An editor of the New Habari Corporation, Martinyi Masyaga (41), and two other people yesterday appeared before the Arusha Resident Magistrate Court to answer charges leveled against them of allegedly asking and taking a bribe of Sh200,000.

The other two are Mwita Chomete (32), an IT expert for the same media house and Bora Bidiga(36), a resident of Arusha. Her occupation was unknown.

Reading the charge sheet before the resident magistrate, Yohana Myombo, public prosecutor Hamidu Simbano said on Thursday at around 4pm, in Monduli District, the suspects asked a bribe of about Sh1.5m from an official of the Tanzania power utility firm (Tanesco) Andrew Mahamdu.

Myombo told the court that the alleged bribe was meant to cover up the Tanesco official so that a story about him would not appear in the newspaper because he was allegedly not supposed to hold that post.

It was stated that on the fateful day Mwita Chomete allegedly received Sh200,000 from the Tanesco official (Mahamdu) on behalf of Martinyi Masyaga.

The suspects denied the charges and were released after meeting bail conditions. The case will come up for another mention later this month, on June 29.