Gwajima surrenders to police, charged in court, bailed.

Bishop Josephat Gwajima

Beleaguered Glory of Christ Church head, Bishop Josephat Gwajima yesterday surrendered himself to the Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone Offices and brought before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court charged with insulting and weapon handling counts.

 

Reading the charges before resident magistrate Shedrack Kimaro,   Public Prosecutor Joseph Maugo told the court that during his preaching at his church Gwajima insulted Archbishop of Dar es Salaam Catholic Episcopacy, Polycarp Cardinal Pengo.

 

The second count was failing to safely keep his pistol which he owns legally.

 

According to the prosecutor, in the second count he was charged with three others,, namely Yekoma Bihaganze, Jofrey Andrew and George Mzava who were charged fork possessing the weapon illegally.

 

Gwajima was requested to give Sh. 2 million as bail and one referee who is a public servant for each. He met the bail condition and was released to May 4 where the case will be mentioned.  

 

Earlier yesterday, Bishop Gwajima’s residence was surrendered by police officers for seven hours.

 

He was directed to produce documentation of ownership of church assets at the central police station on Thursday but he refused to submit the required documents. As a result police officers went to his residence to detain him.

 

Police surrounded his home located at Salasala Kilimahewa Street, displaying with weapons, taking six police cars for the job.

 

It started early in the morning, around 6.00am, a  situation that saw the church leader lock himself inside his house until the police left the grounds around 6.30pm

 

When it reached 1.00pm Gwajima got into his car and surrendered to the Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone Offices for questioning. 

 

According to information released at his residence, he was supposed to go back to central police station on Thursday with 10 documents supporting ownership of his properties.

 

The documents mentioned include the church registration form, number of churches and its administration system.

 

Others were number of houses he owned and other properties owned by the church as well as church returns.

 

Previously,  the Dar es Salaam Special Zone commander, Commissioner of Police (CP) Suleiman Kova had told reporters that they were holding 15 people on suspicions of plotting to enable the Bishop to escape from the TMJ Hospital.

 

 He said that after arrest, the suspects were found in possession of a bag which contained various items, including a pistol numbered CAT5802 with three rounds of ammunition.

 

 He mentioned other items as 17 rounds of ammunition for a shotgun, two cheque books, a passport bearing the name of Josephat Mathias Gwajima with serial number AB 544 809, various documents, shoes, two pairs of suits, underpants and two cellular phone chargers. Those arrested were later freed after a large congregation of interdenominational sympathizers massed before the central police station.