ARUSHA (Halbeeg News) – A court in Tanzania has sentenced seven men from Somalia to life in jail after they were reportedly found guilty of involving in piracy.
The high court in Tanzanian second largest city, Dar es Salaam said the men convicted of the charges levelled against them.
The convicts are Mohamed Adam, Bashir Rooble, Muhsini Haji, Abdulwaidi Abdalahamani, Faragani Abdul, Ally Nur Ally and Omar Mohamed, alias Mudhee.
Judge Yose Mlyambina who sentenced the men last week said the court gave consideration evidence by 14 prosecution witnesses and six documentary exhibits as well as the defence testimony by the accused.
The judge concluded that the prosecution had sufficiently proved its case beyond reasonable doubt as required in criminal cases.
According to Tanzanian Daily News, the accused men were represented by advocates Aloyce Komba, Domicus Mkwera, Rupia Abraham, Msemo Omary, Dennis Tumaini, Benedict Pius and Gelas Severine.
During the trial, which was being conducted almost to midnight in every court session, the prosecution was represented by Dar es Salaam Regional Prosecutions Officer, Senior State Attorney Mkunde Mshanga as well as Senior State Attorney Cecilia Shelly and State Attorney George Barasa.
The prosecution had told the court that the accused committed the offence on October 3, 2011, in the Indian Ocean and within Tanzania’s Exclusive Economic Zone, by attacking an oil exploration vessel-SAM S ALLGOOD- using firearms.
According to the law under which the seven men were charged with, notably Sub-Section (2) of the Act, a person who does or participates in the piracy commits an offence of piracy and on conviction is liable to life imprisonment.
In accordance with the penal of piracy, contrary to Section 66 (1) (a) (b) of the Penal Code, and charged with piracy should face a harsh sentence.
“Any person who does any act of violence or detention or degradation, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or aircraft and directed against another ship or aircraft, or persons or property on board, (…) or in a place outside the jurisdiction of any state,” the provision reads. “Participations in the operation of a ship or of an aircraft with knowledge of facts making it a pirate ship or aircraft, or does any act of inciting or of intentionally facilitating an act (stated above) commits an act of piracy.”
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