John Magufuli pardons father and son convicted for defiling 10 schoolgirls
Mr Nguza Viking alias ‘Babu Seya’ and his son Johnson Nguza a.k.a ‘Papii Kocha’ wave as they are released from Ukonga Prison in Dar es Salaam on December 9, 2017. Tanzanian President John Magufuli pardoned the two men jailed for life for defiling 10 girls in primary school. PHOTO | MICHAEL MATEMANGA | THE CITIZEN
What you need to know:
- Musician Nguza Viking and his son Johnson Nguza were jailed for life after being found guilty of defiling 10 girls in primary school.
- They have been in jail for 13 years.
DAR ES SALAAM
President John Magufuli has signed documents to effectively approve his Saturday’s move to pardon famous musician Nguza Viking alias Babu Seya and his son Johnson Nguza aka Papii Kocha, along with 59 other prisoners.
Babu Seya and his son John, who were imprisoned for life 13 years ago after they were found guilty of defiling 10 girls in primary school, walked free out of Ukonga Prison gates on Saturday, just hours after President Magufuli pardoned them in his speech on the 56th independence anniversary of Tanganyika.
BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
On Sunday, a State House statement showed that President Magufuli had signed the documents to set them free while at the Chamwino State Lodge in Dodoma.
According to the statement, the President acknowledges the Prisons Department for working tirelessly to change the behaviour of convicts so that they can become good citizens of the nation.
“I decided to use Article 45(1) of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania although it has never been used before. You know, it is astonishing to hear that someone, who was sentenced to die by hanging, has been pardoned. It has never happened before, but I decided to use it for the good of Tanzanians,” said President Magufuli, insisting that the Prisons Department must continue exercising its duties in a professional manner.
In his remarks, Prisons commissioner-general Juma Malewa thanked President Magufuli for pardoning the two. He said both inmates and wardens were thankful for the gesture.
