Former JATU Plc charged with false pretenses

Former Chief Executive Director of JATU Plc, Peter Gasaya on Thursday appeared before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam charged with fraud of over 5bn/- using false pretenses.

Before Principal Resident Magistrate Mery Urio at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the 32-year-old resident of Dar es Salaam denied the charge.

The prosecution led by Tumaini Mafuru told the court that, on diverse dates between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021 within the city of Dar es Salaam, the Chief Executive Director of JATU PL, with intent to defraud, obtained 5.14bn/- from JATU Saccos by falsely pretending that the said amount would be invested in cultivation for profit, a fact that he knew to be false.

The court ordered the accused to remain in custody because the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the question of bail after the terms of the bail exceeded 300m/-.

The case was adjourned to January 11 next year for mentioning as the investigations, according to the prosecutions led by State Attorney Tumaini Mafuru, have not been completed.

Meanwhile, Hamis Luwongo, who is accused of murdering his wife Naomi Marijan, requested the court to allow him to see the magistrate in charge following an inordinate delay in the investigation into the matter.

The accused made the request to Principal Resident Magistrate Rhoda Ngimilanga yesterday when the case came up for mention.

Ngililanga then asked the accused to submit his request in writing so that it could be processed.

The request by the accused came after the prosecution, led by State Attorney Faraji Nguka, asked for more time to complete the investigations into the case.

He informed the court that the investigations were yet to be completed and thus, requested the court to set another date for   mentioning the case in order to give them more time to work on the matter.

The magistrate adjourned the case to January 13, next year for another mention.

The prosecution alleged that on May 15, 2019 at Gezaulole, Kigamboni District, Dar es Salaam, Luwondo killed his wife, Naomi Marijani.

It was reported that Naomi went missing from her home at Gezaulole Kigamboni on May 15, 2019, but police investigation   revealed that she was killed by her husband and before burning her body to ashes.

It was stated that the ashes of her body were buried in Mkuranga District, Coast Region.