|
Dead body’s saga takes another turn
2006-12-28 09:52:25
By Pendo Fundisha, PST, Mbeya
Police in Mbeya have arrested a government official for his alleged involvement in the smuggling of cocaine into the country from Zambia. The cocaine was found inside a corpse.
Florian Rweikiza, an immigration officer working in Tunduma on the Tanzania/ Zambia border point, was arrested yesterday for allegedly issuing a fake permit to individuals who transported the dead body from Zambia.
Rweikiza is also accused of failing to inform the authorities on the whereabouts of Kombo Abdallah’s body, in which 59 pellets of cocaine worth 26.7m/- were stashed.
Mbeya Regional Police Commander Suleimani Kova said yesterday that the official had violated official procedures and issued a licence for the body to be brought in from Zambia.
Kova said under normal circumstances, Rweikiza had no powers to issue such documents.
’’He (Rweikiza) was approached by the prime suspect in the case, Hamza Hassani, who was accompanied by two young men, Edward Maiko and Hamis Mengashi, seeking a permit that would allow in the body from across the Zambia border,’’ said Kova.
’’Rweikiza thereafter issued the authorization, which bore no official stamp,’’ he added.
Police investigations revealed that Rweikiza was closely monitoring police movements, right from the point where the body was impounded. The immigration officer, Kova said, went as far as asking permission from his boss to attend the post-mortem of the body.
’’We wondered how the officer could be so much interested in the dead body to the extent of attending its post-mortem,’’ Kova said.
Police are still interrogating the official to establish his relationship with the suspects plus his past historical record in connection with illegal drug networks.
”We are proceeding with investigations. Those involved will face legal action, regardless of their positions in the society,” said RPC.
He said tight checks at the Dar es Salaam International Airport have increasingly forced drug dealers to enter the country through Zambia.
Police in Mbeya had arrested seven people, including three traders, on Saturday for allegedly smuggling cocaine into the country. The pellets were hidden inside a body which was transported from Zambia.
The suspects were arrested at Vwawa in Mbozi after the police were tipped off. They were traveling to Tanga with the body.
The dead body was later taken to Mbeya Referral hospital where it was operated on. Some 59 pellets of cocaine weighing 1,003 grams were then found.
|
