THcontroversial Muslim leader, Ponda
Issa Ponda, has been admitted at the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH)
in Dar es Salaam for emergency treatment -- under police custody.
Ponda, who was on police wanted list,
was reportedly injured on his shoulder on Saturday night after police
opened fire as he was attempting to escape arrest in Morogoro
municipality. Police Spokesperson SSP Advera Senso confirmed to the
‘Daily News’ in Dar es Salaam on Sunday that Ponda was under arrest and
admitted at the MNH.
He described his condition as ‘stable’.
“It is true that he is now under police custody at Muhimbili where he is
undergoing treatment for the wound he sustained during an attempt to
arrest him on Saturday,” she said.
In an earlier statement, Ms Senso said
that a police team, led by Commissioner of Police Issaya Mngulu from the
police headquarters has been tasked to investigate the matter to find
out the circumstances under which he was shot.
“The police force calls upon the people
to remain calm while the matter is being legally handled,” she said.
Explaining the Saturday’s drama, Ms Senso noted that on the day in
question, there was a workshop held at Kiwanja cha Ndege Primary School
grounds in Morogoro Municipality where Sheikh Ponda arrived in the late
hours of the day and greeted the Muslims present.
“There was an Idd-el-Fitr Baraza held by
an association of Muslim preachers at Kiwanja cha Ndege Primary School
in Morogoro Municipality where Ponda arrived ten minutes before it
closed and talked briefly to the congregation,” she said.
She explained that the forum, which
started at around 2pm, was closed at around 6pm where people started
dispersing, some of them shielding a small car that carried Sheikh
Ponda. “After moving from the grounds, the police put up a road block in
an attempt to arrest Sheikh Ponda who was on the police wanted list for
allegedly instigating chaos in various places in the country,” she
elaborated.
Ms Senso further noted that Ponda’s
followers had then stopped the police from arresting him and started
throwing stones, forcing the police to open fire on air to disperse
them. “In the ensuing chaos, Ponda’s supporters were able to escape with
him.
At the moment Ponda is in Muhimbili
Hospital where he is undergoing treatment of the injury he is believed
to have sustained during the confrontation,” she said. A survey
conducted at the MNH showed that the situation was calm and activities
there went on as usual.
A man who identified himself as Ponda’s
cousin, Isihaka Rashid, told the ‘Daily News’ at the hospital that his
relative was rushed there by family and friends.
He noted that a PF3 form was acquired
from the Selander Bridge Police Post in the late hours of Saturday which
gave Ponda a go ahead to see doctors at Muhimbili Hospital. He noted
further that X-ray images showed that Ponda’s arm had sustained several
fractures and that he underwent minor surgery to remove the bullet
pieces remaining.
He confirmed Saturday’s reports that the
cleric had been rushed to the Morogoro Regional Hospital for treatment
but people escorting him to the hospital sneaked him to escape the
police dragnet.
An arrest warrant was early in the week
issued for the arrest of Sheikh Ponda on allegations of incitement in
Zanzibar. The order was issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Ponda is on a one-year suspended sentence relating to the destruction of
property with a condition not to commit any offence in the meantime.
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