TANZANIA: CONVICT’S DEATH SENTENCE REDUCED TO FIVE-YEAR TERM

The Court of Appeal in Tanzania has reduced to five years imprisonment a death sentence earlier imposed on businessman Kenedy Richard Ngeri for killing his neighbour, Mzee Obed Mollel.
Justices Nathalia Kimaro, William Mandia and Ibrahim Juma ruled in favour of Ngeri, the appellant, after convicting him of manslaughter instead of the murder verdict by High Court Judge Zainab Mruke on March 7, 2012. “We, therefore, quash the conviction of murder and substitute it with one of manslaughter.
We set aside the sentence of death and impose one of imprisonment,” they ruled. Taking into consideration the fact that the appellant had been in custody since December 1, 2006, some seven and a half years, the justices “imposed a term of imprisonment for five years from the date of his conviction.”