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Two lawyers quit Sawaya robbery case
2005-08-12 07:56:29
By Sifa Lubasi
Two defence lawyers yesterday pulled out of the robbery with violence case against businessman Rowland Sawaya and four other people.
Advocates Evarist Sekaboyi and Isaiah Matambo were defending Felix Shayo and Prosper Njiro, the third and fourth accused, respectively, in the trial at the Temeke District Court.
Matambo told trial magistrate Kwey Rusema that they had decided to pull out of the case because of reasons that were beyond their control. He did not elaborate.
’Your honour, I take this opportunity to present our decision in writing to the accused,’ Matambo said as he handed over a letter to Shayo.
Rusema asked the pair if they accepted the counsel’s decision and Shayo said they did not understand why the lawyers had decided to pull out. ”We’re confused. We need to have this sorted out.
We don’t understand why they had withdrawn from the case,” Shayo said.
Rusema told the accused to either resolve their differences with their lawyers or engage other advocates.
Advocate Herbert Nyange, who is representing Sawaya, Roland Kombe and Sharifa Christopher, was not present and the court was told that he had lost a relative.
Athumani Msemo’s advocate, Damas Ndumbaro, attended the brief session.
Nyange’s absence and the two lawyers’ withdrawal meant that the accused could not kick off their defence as scheduled.
The first of the 17 witnesses lined up by the defence was expected to testify yesterday.
Sawaya, Shayo, Njiro, Kombe and Msemo have been charged with staging a robbery at the premises on Nchambi’s Transport Company on the night of March 10, this year.
Goods valued at 134m/- were allegedly stolen in the robbery.
Sharifa Christopher had been charged with being an accessory to the alleged robbery.
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