A UGANDAN, who has been behind bars for the past three weeks, has been freed after a Masvingo magistrate acquitted him and a colleague of the charges of criminal nuisance and contravening the country’s Censorship and Entertainment Control Act.
Tom Ssekamwa, a 24-year-old Ugandan citizen, was on trial at Masvingo Magistrates Court after he was arrested on August 1 this year.
In a statement yesterday, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said during trial, presided over by Masvingo magistrate Isaac Chikura, prosecutors accused Ssekamwa of unlawfull possession of an artificial manhood, Dulex Real Feel 50ml tub and Climax for Men, an item which the State said was prohibited.
“Apart from answering to charges of contravening section 26(1)(a) of the Censorship and Entertainment Control Act, Ssekamwa was also charged with criminal nuisance as defined in section 46 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act,” the lawyers said.
The State claimed that police officers, who conducted a search in Ssekamwa’s room at Backpackers Rest Budget in Masvingo, recovered the alleged offensive items from his bag, adding that the tourist’s conduct was unlawful.
However, according to the lawyers, Chikura acquitted Ssekamwa on Monday this week ruling that he had not committed any offence as had been alleged by the police and prosecution.
He said the prosecution failed to follow procedures provided in the Censorship and Entertainment Control Act.
Chikura also ruled that the State should have satisfied the requirement that there is an existence of a Government Gazette which publicised an artificial manhood as a prohibited item in Zimbabwe.
- Ugandan released after spending 3 weeks in detention
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Chikura had on August 23, 2024, also acquitted Lukas Slavia, a 37-year-old Czech Republic citizen, who had been on trial after being arrested together with Ssekamwa.
Prosecutors later dropped charges of publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State and proceeded with the trial on criminal nuisance charges.
Slavia was “escorted” by Immigration authorities from Masvingo Remand Prison to Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, for him to leave the country, on August 24 this year.
Ssekamwa was yesterday also taken from Masvingo Remand Prison to Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport for deportation from Zimbabwe.
