Breaking News; A person who was imprisoned for 23 years for poaching escapes from prisons,

 

Amos Bernard Mtinange Better koa Meja

Our reporter, Babati

 maipacarusha20@gmail.com

Prisoner Amos Bernard Mtinange, popularly known as Major, who was serving 23 years of imprisonment on charges of poaching, has escaped while under protection, in Babati district, Manyara region.

The prisoner escaped from the prison farm and was sentenced to prison in November last year.

The Manyara region Prison Officer (RPO), Solomon Mwambingu has threatened yesterday that there is information about the prisoner's escape.

"We have the information and this issue is being worked on," said the Chief of Prisons 

However, the Head of Prisons was not ready to explain the circumstances of the prisoner's escape and the steps that have already been taken.

Major is alleged to have escaped last week with another prisoner, but the prisoner has been arrested.

The investigation of this incident is still ongoing and more information will be released.

Speaking about the incident, some officials of the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) and the Burunge WMA and Chemchem Association Rangers expressed surprise at the prisoner's escape.

"We have great faith in the Prison Service and other security agencies that this prisoner will be caught because the circumstances of his escape are very controversial," said a TAWA officer.

Another Rangers who was in the squad that participated in arresting the Major said, it was not easy to be arrested because for more than a year he was set in traps but he avoided.

"This information has surprised me a lot, we were told that he escaped with one of his colleagues who has already been arrested ... for the great work we did to arrest him but also the police, the Attorney General's Office and the Court for standing up for this issue, we strongly believe that these efforts will not be wasted" said Julius Peter 

  Major was imprisoned for 23 years

The Resident Magistrate's Court in charge of Babati district, Manyara region, sentenced Amos Benard Mtinange, popularly known as Major, to 23 years in prison after convicting him of two counts of economic sabotage of Giraffe poaching and illegal sale of Giraffe meat.

The Major was arrested on April 20, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. in the cattle breeding area at the Fish Camp in the Village of Three Hills, within the Burunge  WMA in Babati District, Manyara Region after being wanted for a long time due to involvement and Giraffe poaching and trade in Giraffe meat. 

 He was arrested due to a trap prepared by the Rangers the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA), the police force, the Burunge WMA Rangers and the Rangers of the Chem Chem Association which has invested in tourism activities in the area and financed the Anti-poaching forces.

Reading the sentence, Resident Magistrate of Babati district court, Manyara region, Victor Kimario said, the court has convicted Meja after being satisfied beyond doubt that he has been involved in giraffe poaching and selling giraffe meat.

He said that in order to stop the incidents of poaching in the country, the Court sentences him to serve 23 years in prison. 

Before the sentence, Meja asked the court to reduce his punishment because he has a family that depends on him.

However, Prosecutors, State Attorneys Benedict Mapunda, and Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) Attorneys Getrude Kariongi and Shahidu Kajwagya, opposed the reduction of the accused's sentence.

Lawyer Kariongi said the case facing the accused is one of economic sabotage and what he has been doing for a long time is killing Giraffe which is a tourist attraction in the country but the animal also contributes to the national income.

He said wildlife contributes to obtaining foreign currency which bananas contribute to obtaining funds for government projects such as school construction, contributing to health costs and others.

In that case, the Republic had seven witnesses who were the custodian of police evidence, two Rangers who participated in arresting him, a detector and appraiser of government loot, an expert from Forensic, a detective, a Peacekeeper who was a judge.