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Kibaha cattle rustlers sentenced to 15-year prison term in absentia
2008-05-09 09:17:45
By Amri Lugungulo, PST, Kibaha
Two Mlandizi village peasants in Kibaha District, Coast Region, have been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment each by the Kibaha Resident Magistrate's Court after being found guilty of stealing four cows worth 900,000/- in the village.
The duo, Gairos Dahani (28) and Francis Machimo (30), were sentenced by Resident Magistrate Aloyce Evarist Katemana in absentia after they had jumped bail at different times between April, last year, and January, this year.
Both accused had pleaded not guilty when they were first brought to court in April, 2006.
In his judgement on Wednesday, the magistrate said the accused were found guilty under section 268 of the Penal Code.
He said the court was satisfied with the evidence presented by the prosecution that the accused committed the offence.
Earlier, police prosecutor Leonard Mwakifuna had alleged that at about 1am on April 13, 2006 at Kisabi village in the Kibaha District, the two stole the four cows worth 900,000/-, the property of one Saidi Mbugulu, a resident in the village.
Mwakifuna said that the accused were arrested on the same day and were brought to court on April 18, 2006 where they pleaded not guilty.
Although the accused had jumped bail the case proceeded in court according to the Criminal Procedure Act of 1985.
The magistrate said the two convicts would start serving the sentence after their arrest and the court issued a conviction warrant to have them arrested.
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