TANZANIA: HIGH COURT ORDERS HANGING OF FIVE PEOPLE FOR KILLING DR MVUNGI

September 21, 2020:

The High Court in Dar es Salaam on 18 September 2020 ordered five people to be hanged to death for killing former prominent lawyer and politician, Dr Edmund Sengondo Mvungi.
They are Msigwa Matonya, Mianda Mlewa alias White, Paulo Mndonondo, Longishu Losingo and John Mayunga, alias Ngosha.
Judge Seif Kulita imposed such sentence after convicting them of murder.
The judge ruled that the prosecution proved the charge against the convicts beyond reasonable doubt as required in criminal cases.
However, the judge acquitted Juma Kangungu, who was also charged with murder for insufficient evidence.
During the trial, the prosecution was led by Senior State Attorney Credo Rugaju, who was assisted by State Attorneys Lilian Lwetabura and Veronica Mtafya.
The prosecution called 16 witnesses as well as tendering 15 documentary exhibits to prove the charge. The prosecution had told the court that the accused persons attacked Dr Mvungi on 3 November 2013, at Msakuzi Kiswegere area in Kinondoni District in the city.
A group of suspected robbers at night stormed the residence of Dr Mvungi and critically wounded him when fighting off machete-wielding from them.
He was first admitted at the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI) intensive care unit in Dar es Salaam, but his condition remained critical, prompting the referral to Milpark Hospital in Parktown West, Johannesburg, South Africa, where he died.