The man, who was recently arrested in Dar es Salaam for allegedly impersonating a traffic police officer, appeared before the Ilala District Court on Thursday charged with two counts of impersonation and being in unlawful possession of public stores.
James Hussein Hassan (45), a resident of Kimara Rombo, denied the charges before Senior Resident Magistrate Joyce Minde. He was remanded in custody for failure to meet set bail conditions.
The magistrate had granted bail the alleged fake traffic police officer on condition of securing two reliable sureties with recognized residents in the city. The two sureties, according to the magistrate, were also required to sign a joint bond of 7m/-.
Magistrate Minde adjourned the trial to September 5, for mention. The prosecution said investigations into the matter have not been completed. Reading the charges, State Attorney Nassoro Katunga, for the prosecution, told the court that the accused committed the offence on August 14, this year, at Kinyerezi, Mnara wa Voda area in Ilala District.
The prosecutor alleged that on the same day and place, with intent to defraud, the accused person falsely represented himself to Inspector of Police Gabriel Chiguma as a traffic police officer.
Furthermore, the court heard that on the material day, the accused persons was allegedly found with public stores, including cap crown, TTI jacket and one belt, all properties of the police force of Tanzania.
On August 14, this year, the alleged ‘fake cop’ was arrested in the city after he had failed to salute a senior police officer. It is claimed that Hassan had been impersonating as traffic police officer at Kinyerezi area for five days before he was arrested.
The Ilala Regional Police Commander (RPC) Marietha Minangi was recently quoted as saying that Hassan claimed that he got the uniforms from his brother-in-law and that the latter is a police officer stationed in Tabora Region.
But the RPC was reported to have said that upon further questioning, Hassan later changed the statement and said that he got the uniforms while attending training at Moshi Police College, CCP, before he was expelled.
RPC Minangi further alleged that Hassan had been providing contradictory statements regarding his actual residence, claiming he was living at Kimara Matangini, a fact which was later proven to be untrue as residents in the area denied knowing him.
The Ilala RPC pointed out that the police had tried to contact Hassan’s relatives to establish his actual residence, but the people who have been called so far claimed not knowing him. “Hassan gave us telephone numbers of people who denied knowing him,” she was quoted as saying.
By FAUSTINE KAPAMA, Tanzania Daily News
