Tuesday 27 August 2013

President Kikwete acts tough on drugs


President Jakaya Kikwete 
By Bernard James  (email the author)


Posted  Saturday, August 24  2013 at  21:57
In Summary
  • According to Mr Jundu, low capacity of investigators, prosecutors and judges as well as poor finances were contributing factors.


Dar es Salaam. Stung by criticism of his administration’s faltering war against drugs, President Jakaya Kikwete is leading a renewed campaign to stamp out the illicit trade, The Citizen on Sunday can report.
President Kikwete is keen to give a new push to key agencies tasked with the responsibility of tackling the menace and now wants to see immediate action to fight the illicit trade that has tarnished the national image.
The head of state has apparently demanded to know the number of all drug-related court cases and their respective stages.
The Citizen on Sunday has established that the head of state recently summoned several ministers and heads of Judiciary and the police to a meeting in which he demanded accountability on the war against drug traffickers.
Earlier this week, a meeting was held between the State House-based presidential task force on drugs and top officials from the Judiciary, the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and head of anti-drugs unit during which the main agenda was how to implement tough demands by the President.
As a result of President Kikwete’s personal pressure, The Citizen on Sunday can reveal that the Judiciary is making adjustments that will see a big number of drug cases pending in courts heard and determined promptly.
The move, according to the sources, will see all drug cases receiving a special consideration in planning court sessions.
The court plans to accommodate as many drug-related cases as possible to ensure quick hearing and determination. The piling up of such cases and sloppy handling of others have raised alarm and had President Kikwete demanding that police and Judiciary act robustly.
Our sources said the President has warned that he would adopt a tough stance in the war against drug trafficking after assessing the performance of the organs.
There has been growing concern that drug traffickers were easily securing freedom or bail in blatant disregard of the law.
Two weeks ago, this paper reported how some senior government and Judiciary officials have put pressure on prosecutors to drop or interfere with drug cases. The Judiciary has also been accused of lethargy, with some drug cases dragging for years .
But the Judiciary is pointing to “poorly-prepared” cases for the frustration in the corridors of justice.

“Our duty as the Judiciary cannot start until other players like prosecutors and investigators have done their job. So proper investigations and prosecution must be put into consideration,” Principal Judge Fakih Jundu told The Citizen on Sunday.
Mr Jundu said: “They make weak legal preparation to warrant a smooth hearing and determination of the cases but turn around blaming the courts. That’s where the problem starts.”
Low capacity and lack of funds
According to Mr Jundu, low capacity of investigators, prosecutors and judges as well as poor finances were contributing factors.
But he admitted plans were underway to speed up the hearing of the cases and acknowledged “there was some communications with Ikulu on the issue.”
“There are constant consultations between the Chief Justice and the President to see how we can move forward,” he said.
DPP Eliezer Feleshi separately told this paper that he would not be drawn into a blame game but said there was a need to wipe out bad elements in institution responsible for the drug war.
“We need a collective approach by institutions and the community in fighting drugs if we are to win this fight.
There are bad elements among us that we need to remove,” he said.
He declined to comment directly on the pressure coming from the State House when asked.
He said: “The President is the supreme leader. Institutions entrusted with any work should not wait to be pushed. We are always on the ground.”