President John Magufuli’s announcement to free Mr. Nguza Viking alias ‘Babu Seya’ just few hours ago while addressing the nation at the climax to mark the 56th Anniversary celebrations of the independence day has been jubilantly received by ululations that characterized the atmosphere at Jamhuri stadium in Dodoma designated capital.Spectators who turned up Jamhuri stadium could not believe their ears as President concluded in his speech that together with other 62 prisoners whom he has pardoned awaiting death penalties, he had also pardoned a Congolese musician Nguza Viking who had been sentenced to life imprisonment on February 11, 2010 together with his son Johnson Nguza alias ‘Papii Kocha’. The two were serving a life sentence for defiling and raping minors.
Mr Viking and his son, Mr Nguza were sentenced to life imprisonment after they were found guilty of raping and defiling Mashujaa Primary School Children pupils aged between six and ten years in Sinza area, Kinondoni District. The offence was committed in 2003. The president’s announcements on amnesty also has pardoned other 1,000 inmates who had been imprisoned on different offenses in the country including two inmates with old age of about 85 years. The President said the two had served the longest jail term of between 40 and 45 years. The two musicians filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in 2013 through advocates Mabere Marando and Gabriel Mnyelle, asking the highest court to revisit their sentence but in November, 2013 the sentence was upheld. Reports from some other quarters in the country have said that, the immediate announcements of the President has shocked the nation who turned in joyful mood when they heard a Congolese musician is now free walking out of the prison cell immediately before he finished even addressing the nation.
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