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Chaos as beheaded girl case lands in Dar court
2008-05-06 10:15:31
By Rosemary Mirondo
Business at a Dar es Salaam court came to a standstill yesterday as a teenager alleged to have killed a three-year-old girl in conditions related to belief in witchcraft was brought before the court.
Ramadhan Selemani Musa (18) and his mother Hadija Ally Selemani (38) are facing murder charges. They were brought to the Kisutu Resident Magistrate`s Court at 11.30 am.
As they were being led to one of the open courts, information of their presence leaked.
The crowds around soon rushed to the court to cast a glance at the Musa, who has made newspaper headlines for two weeks now.
Court proceedings were disrupted for almost 30 minutes as the crowds scrambled to enter the courtroom.
Police in the other courtrooms and chambers rushed to the scene to maintain law and order ready for the case to continue.
Prosecuting, Assistant Commissioner of Police Charles Kenyella asked the court to help ensure order by adjourning all other cases, including the hearing of an assault case in which five people are charged with spraying MwanaHalisi editor Saed Kubenea with acid.
Musa looked composed in the dock and his mother visibly shaken as they appeared before Principal Resident Magistrate Euphemia Mingi.
Kenyella, assisted by Reneta Mzinga and Hudson Ndusyepo, submitted that the accused beheaded Salome Yohana on April 25 at Segerea kwa Bibi in Dar es Salaam.
After the charges were read out to them, Hadija entered a plea of not guilty.
The prosecution immediately asked the court to notify the accused that they were not supposed to enter any plea because the Kisutu court has no jurisdiction to hear murder cases.
The magistrate told the accused that they were not supposed to answer anything because their case would be heard in the High Court.
As the magistrate made the comment, Musa looked unconcerned. He kept chewing his tongue and staring at the ceiling.
Her pensive mother was looking down.
The prosecution read the charge again, this time without the accused entering any plea.
The prosecution asked the court to adjourn the case, saying they were still investigating. The case was adjourned to May 19.
After the case was adjourned, police used force to disperse the crowds in and around the courtroom to enable them to move the accused away.
Asked by reporters as he was being taken to a waiting police truck, Musa said he guessed he was 12 or 15 years old ``according to what my mother has been telling me``.
He added that he was in Standard Five at Kipima Hewa Primary school in Segerea before he dropped out.
As the police truck left the court premises, people ran after it shouting, some asking the police to let them teach the accused a lesson.
Musa was arrested on April 25 at Muhimbili National Hospital in the city allegedly with the head of the three-year-old girl wrapped in a plastic bag he was carrying.
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