The police force this morning beefed up security at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate's Court in Dar es Salaam when Chadema National Chairman Freeman Mbowe and the party's Member of Parliament Ester Matiko showed up to attend their criminal trial after remaining in remand for 14 days.
Mbowe and Matiko, who are charged with 11 sedition counts alongside seven other Chadema senior party officials, had appeared before the court when their case came for mention.
Principal Resident Magistrate Wilbard Mashauri adjourned the case to December 21, for another mention, pending determination of appeals lodged by both the defence and prosecution at the High Court and Court of Appeal, respectively.
In the today's session, however, two accused persons Kawe MP Halima Mdee and Tarime Urban lawmaker John Heche could not attend for various reasons.
The court was told that Mdee was in Burundi for a parliamentary sports mission, while Heche was attending his sick wife. The court accepted the reasons advances for their absence.
