TANZANIA: APPEAL COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY FOR IRINGA MAN

Justices Damian Lubuva, Mbarouk Mbarouk and Chande Othman of the Tanzanian Court of Appeal upheld the conviction and death sentence by a lower court in 2007 of an Iringa resident who killed a woman some 12 years ago after he was promised 30,000/-. The Appellate Court held that Chesco Mtenga was properly convicted by the trial judge, Mr Frederick Werema, after the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The prosecution told the court that the appellant killed Lustika Kidava on March 14, 1996, at Kidabaga Village in Iringa District. In his caution statement, Mtenga said, along with a person identified as Felix Magelanga, he was promised 30,000/- by a man identified as Semoto for killing Kidava for witchcraft beliefs. Mtenga told how they went after the woman and strangled her to death. The trial judge relied on the appellant’s confession that was corroborated by prosecution witnesses and convicted Mtenga as charged. Mtenga will appeal.