Dar police seize five ’CUF lorries’
 
2005-07-20 09:32:22
By Lilian Lyimo

	Civic United Front (CUF) supporters traveling by lory to Morogoro.

Police in Dar es Salaam have impounded five lorries that were allegedly used to transport Civic United Front (CUF) supporters to Morogoro and back to the city last weekend.

Dar es Salaam Regional Police Commander Alfred Tibaigana said yesterday that the vehicles were among ten lorries that ferried CUF supporters to a public rally in Morogoro, contrary to traffic rules.

He said legal proceeding would be instituted against the owners and drivers of the vehicles. ’’We have time and again said that using lorries to transport people is against the law.

It seems that our warnings have fallen on deaf ears…we will now act,’’ he said.

Tibaigana said the registration numbers of the seized lorries were T 819 AES, TAZ 108, T 965 AFF, T 701 AGU and T 912 AAJ and added that police were looking for five other trucks which made the 400-kilometre round trip to Morogoro.

He said it was not his intention to get into conflict with leaders of political parties, but added that the law must be enforced with a view to protecting people and their property.

Tibaigana took a swipe at some political party leaders, saying they were at the forefront in breaking the law instead of setting an example to their supporters.

The RPC said last month that police would not hesitate to act against political parties that use lorries to transport their supporters within the region.

This was after a lorry was seized and its driver charged with a 100,000/- fine after the vehicle was flagged down by police while packed with ’’passengers’’ going to a political rally.

However, some opposition leaders poured scorn on Tibaigana’s order, saying police themselves used lorries as a means of transport all over the country.

• SOURCE: Guardian