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Tanzanian woman acquitted in heroin syndicate trial

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As magistrate Prince Manyathi’s black robes swept out of the courtroom door, Rehema Selemani burst into tears.

Her mother, Helen Peter, cried out to her but Selemani, sobbing uncontrollably, ran down the stairs towards the cells below court.

On Wednesday, the 32-year-old Tanzanian mother was acquitted on drug-related charges for her role in a 10kg heroin deal in 2013.

The deal was part of a much broader investigation, codenamed Project Stretch, involving the Hawks, the Counter Narcotics unit of Crime Intelligence and the US Department of Homeland Security.

In November 2013, an undercover narcotics detective from Texas, known as “Mark”, arrived in South Africa to buy 10kg of heroin from Tiko Adam – Selemani’s boyfriend and the father of her three-year-old daughter.

The deal had been set up with sellers in Dubai and Tanzania who were accused of smuggling Afghan heroin through Tanzania and South Africa.


(To read more about the deal, listen to testimony from the undercover agent and Selemani, and see pictures of major heroin seizures at sea, visit: https://city_press.atavist.com/pushing-heroin)

Selemani was present during a meeting where drugs were discussed and when the drugs were handed over in the parking lot of the Emperors Palace Casino, but during her trial maintained that she did not hear what was being discussed, and had no idea that a heroin deal was taking place.

Although Manyathi found that there was not enough evidence to convict Selemani, he did not hide his displeasure.

“I want to be honest in this particular matter. Subjectively, I believe the accused was involved,” he told the court.

“But unfortunately … whatever the court subjectively believes is not important – the court has to look at the evidence in front of it.”

The key piece of evidence against Selemani was a transcript of an audio recording from inside Adam’s ML Mercedes, where the undercover agent handed over $10 000 (now worth about R158 000) in cash to Adam and Selemani. Although none of the witnesses could agree on whether Selemani counted the money, her voice is heard saying “ten thousand” when asked to confirm the amount of cash.

“At all material times I have been bothered by the question: why did the accused confirm something she was not involved in?” Manyathi said.

“I’ve been reading that transcript like my Bible every night to try and get some understanding of what happened.”

Ultimately, he concluded that this piece of evidence alone was not enough to convict Selemani. However, asking Selemani to stand, he offered some stern advice: “Somewhere in my heart and in my soul I think you are involved in this, and you cannot tell me that you don’t know what Tiko was doing, you cannot tell me that. But as a word of advice, you’ve got a three-year-old child, if you proceed with this … you will grow old in jail; you won’t see your child. I hope this is a lesson and I hope that you stay away from this.”

Outside the court, Rehema’s mother, Helen Peter, was also in tears.

“I’m happy; that’s why I’m crying. God is great,” she said.

Peter has flown in from Tanzania for every one of her daughter’s court appearances, and has sold property in Tanzania to pay for the legal fees. She insists that the police must still pursue Adam for his role in the deal.

“The police they must find Tiko. Interpol is there [in Tanzania], why can’t they go there and fetch him?”

Last week, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku confirmed that two other suspects implicated in the same deal have been arrested.

Abdul Jahagir Bashit Jan is accused of orchestrating the deal from Dubai and receiving $60 000 as an upfront payment for the purchase. He was arrested in the Seychelles and deported to Houston.

Iddy Mfullu is accused of making the arrangements for the heroin to be transported from Tanzania through Zambia and Zimbabwe to Johannesburg. He was arrested last year by the Tanzania Drug Task Team.
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