TBC journalist Jerry Muro held over alleged graft

[Chiwaso]

2nd February 2010

Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Suleiman Kova displays handcuffs said to have been found in TBC journalist Jerry Muro`s car during a police inspection on Sunday.



Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation television journalist Jerry Muro falsely presented himself as a soldier and threatened former Bagamoyo District Council treasurer Michael Wage with a pistol and handcuffs, police alleged yesterday.
They added that they were now planning to forward to the Attorney General’s Chambers details on the criminal allegations involving the journalist, who was arrested in Dar es Salaam yesterday, “for necessary further action”.
Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander Suleiman Kova told a news conference in the city that Muro and three other persons who had posed as PCCB (Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau) officials but are yet to be apprehended were trying to solicit a 10 million/- bribe from Wage.
He said that the suspects threatened to expose allegedly damaging information incriminating Wage, one of five Bagamoyo District Council officials fired recently by Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda over reported misuse of public funds.
Kova said that the suspects threatened the complainant (Wage) by telling him that their investigations had confirmed that he owned a lot of suspicious property, including several bungalows in Morogoro, and that they would expose his shady activities through the media or even take legal action against him.
He added that Wage went to the Central Police Station in the city at around 11.00am on Sunday complaining that he had been subjected to incessant harassment and blackmail attempts by the foursome since January 28 this year.
According to Kova, police then began working on the assumption that the four suspects were conmen “and decided to set a trap at City Garden (restaurant) where Muro and the suspects had planned to meet a waiting Wage for the deal”.
“As plainclothes police officers waited for them at the agreed rendezvous, a Toyota Cresta car with registration number T545BCH soon arrived at the parking lot,” he explained.
He added that Muro, who was driving the car, refused to alight and meet with the complainant but instead asked the complainant to get into the vehicle.
“Following the unexpected turn of events, police swung into action and stormed into the car where, to their surprise, they found Muro,” narrated Kova further.
He said both the journalist and the complainant were taken to the Central Police Station “where Muro denied ever knowing the complainant”.
According to Kova, Wage was emphatic that he could prove to the police that he had indeed been together with Muro and had even left his eye glasses in the journalist’s car and was sure that the journalist kept handcuffs in the car’s dashboard and was also in possession of a pistol.
The police commander also explained that police searched Muro’s car and found a pistol which he owned legally “but he is yet to prove the legality of his having handcuffs, which no civilian is allowed to be in possession of”.
He clarified that handcuffs were not available for sale in the country “and even the Police Force has to get supplies from abroad whenever it needs some”.
“We (police) have impeccable evidence that Muro and Wage met before the former’s arrest on Sunday because we have conducted thorough investigations at the restaurant concerned and have even taken video images of the incident using CCTV cameras,” the police commander pointed out.
However, he stressed that the issue was not between the police and Muro but between Muro and Wage “and police are only doing their duty because no one is above the law”.
“There is no conspiracy here and that’s why we are planning to take the file to the Attorney General’s Chambers so that a state attorney can go through it before a decision on whether to proceed with prosecution is made,” he said.
Asked why the police did involve PCCB when going to arrest Muro, Kova explained that they were involved in a race against time and could not wait.
He said Muro was not caught red-handed with a bribe “but the law is clear that the mere soliciting of a bribe calls for a five-year jail term if proved in a court of law.
Meanwhile, the Media Council of Tanzania has called on police to speed up investigation into the allegations levelled against Muro “and take the matter to court soonest so that justice may take its course”.
MCT Executive Secretary Kajubi Mukajanga told a hurriedly called news conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday that they were shocked to receive the news “because Muro is Tanzania’s best journalist for 2009 and has won acclaim for his good work, especially in the fight against corruption”.
“Muro’s arrest raises serious doubts and suspicion because the allegations levelled against him are far from clear. Additionally, if this matter is not taken to court, many journalists might be scared of doing investigative stories for fear of facing similar consequences,” noted Mukajanga.
“Corruption is an offence in law and is against journalism ethics and therefore such allegations as these put the integrity and honesty of journalists in serious jeopardy,” he added.
He appealed to the public to treat Muro as an innocent citizen until proven guilty by the court of law “as provided for under Tanzanian law”.
“We still believe in Muro’s good work and, until a competent court of law proves to the contrary, we will continue cherishing the exemplary work he has done,” he added.
Mukajanga said the council did not intend to interfere with police work “but we will support Muro throughout the case, including hiring a lawyer for him through funds given to us to support journalists”.
He said that good investigative journalists the world over were being attacked in various ways, some of them vicious, embarrassing and even life-threatening, as a way of blackmailing them into submission and thus forcing them to compromise or abandon their noble crusades altogether.
There are reports that Muro was putting final touches to a “world shaking” story before the Sunday incident, but this is yet to be confirmed.




SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

WITH THIS HYPOCRITIC ATTITTUDE, CAN WE REALLY FIGHT CORRUPTION AND GRAFT?

 

[Janjaweed]

Cha kustaajabisha ni kwamba Jerry Muro alikuwa anafanya kazi ya kipelelezi ambayo Polisi walitakiwa waifanye... Polisi wetu wanataka nchi yetu ibaki ya wezi wa kalamu, maana watanzania wote sasa tunazungumzia pingu badala ya 900M

Inasikitisha

 

[Geza Ulole]

Cha kustaajabisha ni kwamba Jerry Muro alikuwa anafanya kazi ya kipelelezi ambayo Polisi walitakiwa waifanye... Polisi wetu wanataka nchi yetu ibaki ya wezi wa kalamu, maana watanzania wote sasa tunazungumzia pingu badala ya 900M

Inasikitisha

hiyo inaitwa ku-distort the main issue!

 

[bht]

Cha kustaajabisha ni kwamba Jerry Muro alikuwa anafanya kazi ya kipelelezi ambayo Polisi walitakiwa waifanye... Polisi wetu wanataka nchi yetu ibaki ya wezi wa kalamu, maana watanzania wote sasa tunazungumzia pingu badala ya 900M

Inasikitisha

they always find away to divert people's attention!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Pape]

they always find away to divert people's attention!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mwaka huu watakoma...

 

[Janjaweed]

Wakuu mnisamehe, nimeshindwa kuelewa kwenye hili sakata la Jerry Muro nani ndio intelligency person, nani polisi anayetakiwa kulinda usalama wa raia na nani PPC anayeshughulikia rushwa;

• Nimeona Jerry amekuwa na role ya intelligence,journalism na polisi na role yake iko clear kwamba anafuatilia ufisadi wa zaidi ya 900M ambazo ni haki kwa watanzania kuelewa nini kilitokea
• NImeona polisi wakimuwahi jamaa kwa kutaka kuchukua rushwa lakini ghafla ikawa ni ishu ya pingu ambayo nashindwa kuelewa gharama halisi (i guess its about $10) na kipi hasa ni priority katika haya 900M au $10???
• Sioni tena role ya PCCB ni kama wameyeyuka
• Sijui intelligensia yetu inachezea timu gani kwenye hili

Kibaya zaidi ni ule uwezo wa machizi wachache wa polisi kuongea tena kiushabiki kwenye nadharia ya "iwapo, na ikathibitika" wakati its a straight forward case

Jerry took three roles
police did nothing
PCCB were the cheer leaders
itelligence iko reserve team

Tanzania ni zaidi ya uijuavyo!!! tumeshaacha 900M za wezi tunahangaikia pingu za mtu

 

[Chimunguru]

Hicho wanachokitafuta hawa akina KOVA. Muro kaza buti baba

 

[nguvumali]

mwaka huu watakoma...

watakoma kama wapenda haki wote watapambana bila kuchoka walam kuvunjika moyo na ujasiri ukiongoza matendo yetu, otherwise mapapa ya ufujaji mali ya umma watashinda.
kweli ipo shaka kua wahanga wasakata lile la Bagamoyo wanaanza kuziba mihanya yote ya taarifa kwa yoyote atakae jaribu kufuatilia, na kwa Muro amshukuru Mungu wake maadui walitumia mbinu dhaifu ambayo haikupanguika vyema, hakika wangeweza kumuua, wanaonyesha kua wamedhamilia na wamejipanga....ila kwa ujasiri usio na woga.

 

[bona]

uyo wage ni mtu mdogo sana ktk ilo deal, kuna wakubwa wengi tu behind the scene, jerry muro is clearly framed but those who frame him are not that smart, couldnt they find a better angle apart from that, sasa uyu kova tumchukulieje? kumbe wako wengi kiivyo? my god, would believe it? kova of all people? he looked honest to me, i guess no body is honest now and we know everything has a price! muro jiandae mtandao ni mkubwa! jk cjui atajietetaje!

 

[Geza Ulole]

I suspect Mr Muro to have been framed after trying to dig further who are the heavy weights behind 900 mio. that Mr Wage misused as an accountant of the Bagamoyo Municipal. And why should the issue turned out to be this way?

As it seems if a smart person investigate, I don't think Mr Wage swindled all that money by himself, that takes me to think probably there are heavy weights i.e. politicians behind the publicity on shod deals the Bagamoyo Municipal has been getting after many resources been directed towards that particular place politically. When i connect the dots the picture cum scenario i get reminds me of the monies mis-used for road cosntructions and other infrastructure that was not allocated to TANROADS! where is the Parliament to vigorously query the actions taken so far?

Therefore as a cover up (as we all know who are the heavy weights in Bagamoyo), Mr Muro had to be silenced at a cost that won't rise eyebrows towards General Election in October and using Mr Wage who as the things look he is a useful informant on who actually swindled the 900 mio.

Mr Wage could not at any time spend all that amount of money, guys open up your eyes he is simply a skape goat and the deal has soured so he is left alone and as his salvation, he had to comply with the who and who in the system to sell out Mr Muro! as it looks the deal will backfire, lets stay tuned and wait and see! That's the Tanzania we live in! That's my opinion any suggestion guys!

 

[Nanu]

If you really listen to Kova you get contradicting stories. The other story tell that Jerry was soliciting the bribe in order not to air the Wage scandals through TBC late night news. Then here comes other info he threatened him for a pistol requiring to be paid a bribe as a PCCB officer. now which is which to me as mwananchi? In term the handcuffs. I have my neighbour who has them. They are also sold at Tanganyika arms. Again, handcuffs are not the weapon, it is same like the rope. You tie someone on hands or legs, so does it mean when you have a rope you have committed an offence? This is also not an issue, it is required that our journalist take investogative approach and establish if there is any lwa that forbid possession of handcuffs by the mwananchi. Even the private security companies guards have handcuffs..Kova now wants to tarnish his image in Dar. He shouldn't be talking in the news conference while he actually talking of same info all the time. this may be aimed at tarnishing Jerry's name but may end up that Police are tarnishing their name more than what they are thinking. Time will tell, and we hope justice will take its course of action.

 

[Sanda Matuta]

mimi naona kuna issue hapo ktkt ilikuwa inakaribia kulipuka sasa wakulu na mkuu wao wanajaribu kumzimisha kijana wetu asifanya kazi yake! lisemwalo lipo...

Ha ha ha!

Mkulu,
Huko kwetu Bwagamoyo,tunausemi unaenda hivi, "mkulu,mkuluku mwao"! (yaani mkubwa,mkubwa kwao) kama hayo yaliyoelezwa hapa yanaukweli na sio specuration basi zitakuwa wazi tu with time.alafu huu ndio muda muafaka wa kujua hayo hii issue isiche kama zile nyingine zikasahaulika,

 

[Janjaweed]

is there any role played by R.Mengi in this saga, knowing that he fired Jerry?? just another distortion in the whole saga revolving around 900M

 

[GM7]

Watuhumiwa Edmund Kapama (shoto) Deogratius Mgassa wakiwa sentro leo

Watuhumiwa wawili zaidi wakamatwa kuhusika na sakata la Jerry Muro, Polisi Kanda Maalum ya Dar es Salaam inawashikiria na kuwahoji watu wawili kwa kosa la kutumia vitisho katika kudai fedha kiasi cha sh.milioni 10,000,000 kutoka kwa mlalamikaji, Michael Wage Karoli.

Akizungumza na waandishi wa habari ofisi kwake leo mchana katika kituo ca Polisi Centre, Kamanda wa kanda maalum ya Dar es Salaam, Suleiman Kova amewataja watuhumiwa hao kuwa ni, Edmund Kapama mkazi wa Mwananyamala (52) na Deogratius Mgassa (35) mkazi wa Mbezi Beach.

Aidha Kova amesema kuwa watuhumiwa hao walikamatwa jana katika maeneo ya Kinondoni na kabla ya kukamatwa kwa watuhumiwa hao wapelelezi walifanikiwa kupata kumbukumbu za watuhumiwa hao.

Amesema kwa kutumia kifaa cha ELEKTRONIC (CCTV) chenye uwezo wa kurekodi na kutunza kumbukumbu ambapo katika tukio hilo watuhumiwa watatu walionekana wakiwa katika meza ya mazungumzo pamoja na mlalamikaji.

Kamanda Kova amesema kuwa watuhumiwa hao walifanyiwa gwaride la utambulisho na kutambuliwa na mlalamikaji, Michael Wage Karoli.

Katika taarifa yake Jeshi la Polisi imesema kuwa watuhumiwa hao wawili waliokamatwa ni matapeli sugu na hivi sasa wanakabiliwa na kesi nyingine na hivyo kukosa sifa za kupata dhamana mpaka watakapofikishwa mahakamani wakati wowote kuanzia sasa.

Source: MICHUZI

 

[Janjaweed]

another distortion
900M to 10M to pistol to pingu to vitisho finally the saga will be laid to rest with
1. Jerry losing passion to investigative journalism
2. 900M case dismissed - no evidence
3. the 2 guys (wazee wa vitisho) - free
4. PCCB role - vanish in thin air confirming their irrelevance
5. Kova and allies as happy as a bird for his good job done!!

 

[Lekanjobe Kubinika]

Sasa mbona sielewi? Muro anawatuhumu au Wage anawatuhumu wawili hao?
Kwa hiyo Muro kaachiwa?

Leka

 

[Sikonge]

Si waseme tu ndiye aliiba besa za EPA na wamfunge?

Ushahidi ni kitendo chake cha siku moja kupita karibu na BoT........

 

[Silas A.K]

PCCB na Polisi wanafanya kazi zinazofanana? je nini majukumu ya polisi katika suala la rushwa na ipi mipaka ya kimajukumu katika hili kati ya polisi na PCCB?

 

[Darling]

It is very sad.
However Muro looks like inteligency officer. And these people looks like they dont know each other hence they confuse us.
Something is wrong some where.
Darling

 

[Pape]

its just confusing, lets wait and see...