Court orders arrest of former top editor

Resident Magistrate Warialwande Lema issued the order after Makunga failed to appear in court when his case came for mention. The magistrate acted on a request by the prosecution, led by state attorney Lilian Itemba.

The trial attorney informed the court that the case had come for mention, but Makunga, who is the third accused person, could not attend the session.

She requested the court to issue an arrest warrant against him. However, advocate Nyaronyo Kicheere, who is defending the accused person, informed the court that his client was on the way coming to court, but he was late due to traffic jams. The magistrate, however, rejected the argument. The case was adjourned to 20 June 2013, when it comes up for another mention.

In the case, Makunga is charged along with former managing editor of Tanzania Daima, Absalom Kibanda and Samson Mwigamba, a journalist, for printing and publishing a seditious article in Swahili tabloid.

It was alleged that on 30 November 2012, the three accused persons, published and printed a seditious publication through Tanzania Daima newspaper.

The article wrote by Mwigamba titled "Waraka maalum kwa askari wote," literally meaning, "Special letter to all security forces" and was read and approved by Kibanda before being taken for printing.

Makunga, according to facts of the case, printed the article without considering that it was seditious and aimed to incite to disobey their leaders.

Source: allAfrica.com