Court reads preliminary hearing in forgery case

KISUTU Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam has read the preliminary hearing of the defendant, Abubakar Hassan (66), who is facing four charges, including obtaining money by false pretenses and forgery.

The preliminary hearing was ready on Thursday State Attorney, Grace Mwanga, before Principal Resident Magistrate Ferdinand Kiwonde.

Mwanga told that court that the 66-year-old farmer, a Lindi resident who resides in Nyangao, is charged with forgery, impersonation and obtaining money by false pretence.

Prosecuting, Mwanga claimed that in March 2014, the accused and other individuals (who were not present in court) introduced themselves to a person known as Rajesh Agarway and told him they were selling a plot of land in Moshi Town.

Mwanga further claimed that, Rajesh agreed to purchase the plot after the accused and his accomplice (who was not present in court) presented themselves to the victim as husband and wife, using the fictitious titles “Mr” and “Mrs” Ebenezer Mwasha.

She claimed that, Rajesh agreed to enter into a contract with the accused, signed in March 2014, whereby the accused received a payment check for 100m/- as part of the payment and later received 5m/- in cash.

Either way, she claimed that while the business was going on, the accused at Azikiwe Street in Benjamini Mkapa’s building presented a fake plot deed together with a forged voter identification card.

Mwanga claimed that while in the same area, Rajesh found out that the documents were fake and forged and gave information to the police station, and the accused was arrested and brought to court in January of this year for interrogation.

After the accused was read the arguments, he only accepted his personal statements but denied all the charges against him.

The state attorney asked for another date for the hearing to begin and claimed that they expect to have nine witnesses and four exhibits.

The case was adjourned until April 6, this year.

According to the prosecution, it is alleged that in the first count, on March 1, 2014, at Azikiwe Ilala Street in Dar es Salaam, in Benjamin Mkapa’s building, the accused, with malicious intent, obtained 105m/- through deception from Rajesh Agarway by pretending that he was selling a plot in Moshi town when he knew it was not true.

In the second count, it is alleged that between an unknown date and place, the defendant forged a document and obtained for himself a document showing that he owns a plot in Moshi, claiming that the document was issued by the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Human Settlement Development, an act he knew to be false.

In the third indictment, it is alleged that between an unknown location and date, the accused produced a voter’s identity card showing that it was valid and was issued by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) with the name of Ebenezer Shilekiromuu Mwasha when he knew it was not true.

In the final charge, it is alleged that on March 1, 2014, while in Azikiwe Street, Ilala in Dar es Salaam, with malicious intent, pretended to be Ebenezer Shilekiromuu Mwasha with the aim of obtaining money.