By AFPMore by this AuthorNAIROBI,A Tanzanian court on Monday handed five-month jail terms to two regime opponents, including a lawmaker, for defaming President John Magufuli, their defence counsel said. Joseph Mbilinyi, a lawmaker with main opposition party Chadema in the southern town of Mbeya, was sentenced with party regional secretary Emmanuel Masonga. LISSU ATTACKThey were charged with linking Magufuli in December to the attempted September assassination of senior opposition lawmaker Tundu Lissu and the abduction of other opposition supporters. As we speak they are already in jail," defence lawyer Peter Kibatala told AFP by phone. Mbilinyi says he was not even present when the reputed comments were made linking Magufuli, nicknamed "Tingatinga" (bulldozer in Swahili), with the assassination attempt.

Source: Daily Nation February 27, 2018 04:07 UTC