The Civic United Front (CUF) Chairman, Professor Ibrahim Lipumba (left), talks to the media on the just ended CUF Central Council meeting in Zanzibar, during a press conference held in Dar es Salaam, yesterday. Right is Lt(Rtd) Ally Kinga Shamte who is the party`s Council Member.
Civil United Front (CUF) vowed yesterday to take legal action against former Inspector of Police (IGP) Omar Mahita for character assassination.
CUF accused Mahita yesterday of mudslinging and negative portrayal of the party by associating it with thuggery and hooliganism.
Before retiring in February, Mahita was quoted in the local media as accusing CUF of being behind the wave of violent crime that hit the current at the end of last year and the beginning of this year.
’’We are taking him (Mahita) to court next Monday,’’ CUF national chairman Prof Ibrahim Lipumba, told a news conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
The decision was taken at CUF’s ordinary council meeting in Zanzibar on May 2-3.
The opposition party has given its lawyers the greenlight to institute legal proceedings against the former police boss who also vowed to ensure that the opposition never ascended to power while he was at the helm of the police force.
’’We have to find out the truth about the allegations by Mahita that soiled CUF’s image in the eyes of the electorate and contributed to our heavy defeat during the last general election,’’ Prof Lipumba said when he spoke to reporters at the party’s Buguruni headquarters.
’’CUF lost heavily in terms of money and reputation during and after the elections because of Mahita public utterances,’’ he added.
He said: ’’I hope details of the allegations and evidence will be tendered in court next week’’.
