IN a move sought to decongest prisons, the Police Force in collaboration with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has dropped a record number of 1,844 cases from the court.
This was revealed by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Camillus Wambura at the official opening of the working session for senior police officers at the Tanzania Police School (TPS) in Moshi District, Kilimanjaro Region on Tuesday.
He said the initiative was part of the implementation of directives issued by President Samia Suluhu Hassan last year, during the Senior Police Officers Conference in Dar es Salaam.
President Samia directed the police force to speed up criminal cases and release the people whom they are sure will not complete the investigations to reduce the burden on the government.
IGP Wambura added that the initiative was carried out by examining prisons and talking to inmates, who had complained about a variety of issues, including being wrongly charged.
He revealed that 2,117 cases are waiting to be heard at the High Court.
IGP Wambura added that to determine whether there were any delays in cases, they also studied the files of famous cases, including those involving remandees.
According to the Police Chief, during the inspection, the prosecutor removed the cases in which the suspects were discovered to have been falsely accused from the court, while the cases that had evidence were taken and continued to be heard.
IGP Wambura noted that to expedite investigations, the police and the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) had agreed to conduct joint inspections at the national, regional, and district levels.
He asserted that they would continue to take action against the dishonest officers, including dismissing any, who will be discovered to have filed false charges against individuals.
The IGP also called on the public cooperation by providing information when they noticed that their rights were being violated, so that appropriate action could be taken.
Regarding the security situation, IGP Wambura said that the situation continues to be satisfactory and the citizens continue with their activities.
However, he said that the report of major criminal offenses shows that they are increasing, whereas the report for this half year shows that major criminal offenses reported in police stations in the country stands at 27,623 compared to 24,888 reported in the same period last year equal to an increase of 7,745 offenses representing 11.2 per cent.
Speaking during the Senior Police Officers Conference 2021, President Samia directed the force to consult with other stakeholders and work on laws that deny bail, pending investigations to reduce the burden on the government.
“Delaying investigation adds burden to the government, therefore, for the cases that you see have no direction, not sure when you will complete investigations it’s time you release such people and let them enjoy their freedom,” she noted
The Head of State also directed the police force to develop systems to adapt to the changes brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s (4IR) failure to embrace change through technology will lead to being subjected to a higher number of criminal attacks.
