Mwandishi wa Habari Apigwa Kahama

Natoa pole kwa Kaka Ali Lityawi. Hao polisi wanastahili kuadhibiwa. Kutokana na maelezo sioni kama Ali alifanya kosa. Hao polisi wangefurahi kuwa wanapigwa picha wakiwa wanafanya kazi yao kama ilivyotakiwa.

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Kahama Police Beat Up Journalist, Seize His Camera
By The guardian reporter
29th December 2010

A group of police officers whose identities and force numbers could not be immediately established last weekend beat up Tanzania Daima newspaper journalist Ali Lityawi, and seized his camera allegedly for taking pictures without permission.

The police said the newsman was 'punished' for taking pictures of a police officer on duty while chasing a prisoner, who had apparently escaped from custody.

The incident took place on Sunday at Lumelezi near Magai hospital, where the journalist, who was on the beat looking for news, found a police officer running after a prisoner.

According to Lityawi, the police officers saw him taking pictures of his colleague, whereupon they attacked him before seizing his camera.

Later, he was taken to the central police station where he was remanded in custody by Kahama Officer Commanding District George Simba on allegation of taking photographs of a police officer and a suspect without a permit.

“The district police chief ordered that the photos in my camera be deleted and ordered his assistants to remove from the camera the smartcard used to store pictures,” he said.

When reached for comment about the incident, Shinyanga regional police commander Diwani Athumani condemned the action by the police officers and ordered repair of the camera, which the journalist claimed was damaged in the fracas.

“It is a police force’s policy to collaborate with journalists to educate the public on public safety and security. If they (police officers) thought the pictures were not good enough, they should have advised the reporter not to use them instead of beating him up and deleting them,” he said.