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Judgment on houseboy killing boss, son case tomorrow
2007-06-12 09:34:15
By Rosemary Mirondo
The high Court in Dar es Salaam will tomorrow deliver judgment on a murder case involving a houseboy alleged to have killed both his employer and a son and threw the latter into a pit latrine because of a 50,000/- debt.
Bathlomeyo Kanuti, a houseboy, is appearing before Judge Amir Mruma on allegations of killing Khatibu Shabani and Iddi Shabani both residents of Bagamoyo.
After an end to hearing of the evidence, the court adjourned the session till June 13 when it will give out its judgment.
Earlier in court, the first witness, who is also the son and brother of the deceased told the court that on March 29, 2003 he traveled from Dar es Salaam to Bagamoyo to inform his father on a funeral.
The witness explained that when he arrived at their house, he did not find anyone and, hence decided to walk to the garden where he was to wait for them to return.
But he was shocked when after wandering around the garden; he found the body of his father buried underneath a tree with flies hovering around. Next to the body lay a hammer, he explained.
He further told the court that the shocking sight made him rush to the police station to report the matter.
He went on to explain that when the police arrived at the scene, they could not move the body because it had already begun to decompose and hence he decided to bury his father on the very place he had found him.
The witness continued to explain that after burying his father whom they thought had been killed by robbers, he continued to search for his brother and the following day, on March 30, 2003 he found that his body had been thrown into a discarded pit latrine.
Like in the earlier incident, he reported the matter to the police who arrived at the scene and again, because the body was also decomposed, it was buried there and then.
After the burial, he said they searched for his father\'s properties only to discover that his bicycle, pistol and other small valuables were missing and the houseboy was at large.
Another witness Musa Khatib, told the court that while he was going to the farm he met the houseboy (accused) on March 26, 2003 riding a bicycle on which he was carrying a bag, but when he asked him where he was going he said he was escorting a visitor and would be back.
After he heard what had happened and that the houseboy was nowhere to be seen, he informed the police and later they discovered that he had left for Morogoro, leaving the bag behind.
The witness continued to explain that when the police searched the bag, they found his birth certificate and the baptism card, which acted as clue to locate his home in Morogoro.
On locating the home of the accused in Morogoro they met his father who told them that his son on arrive came with a bicycle, but had sold it.
He further told them that his son had told him that he had forgotten his bag where he was working and that he did not have fare to go back for it.
The witness further said, when his father pressed him further, he agreed to killing his employer and son because he owed them 50,000/-.
In the main case, Bathlomeyo Kanuti is alleged to have killed his boss Khatibu Shabani and son Iddi Khatibu in between March 26 and 29, 2003 at Bagamoyo where he was working as a houseboy.
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