A 69 year-old Lecturer Mr. Samson Mahimbo, has been sentenced to pay a fine equivalent to KShs. 222,000 or three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to charges including soliciting sexual favors from his first-year student. Mr. Mahimbo is a lecturer at National Institute of Transportation (NIT), a renown institution in Tanzania.
The verdict was read today Tuesday, November 26,2019 in the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, after the defendant entered into an agreement with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) including apologizing and confessing his wrongdoing.
Sexual-Favors Rampant in Colleges
Reading the ruling, Senior Resident Magistrate, Huruma Shaidi said the sex-offending behavior has been cut off and is a conversation in colleges here in the country and that it should be reprimanded.
That said, the practice of pupils being shown answers often leads to lack of qualified professionals so the right way for people as a defendant is to end such actions by bringing them to court and punishing them.
“You will pay a fine of Shs.5 million or go to jail for three years,” said Judge Shaidi.
The Act is a Disgrace to his Age and Profession
Judge Shaidi added that the act he did was a disgrace for his age as a person of his profession was supposed to be a role model but decided to indulge in love with young children who are not his status.
However, the accused has already paid the government compensation of Shs. 2 million after the agreement.
Earlier, Attorney General, Zakaria Ndasco claimed that the Republic had no record of the defendant’s past and that he had already paid compensation of Shs.2 million.
In her defense, before the verdict was read, defense counsel Claudia Msando claimed the defendant was old and had begun to suffer from old age including hearing loss and poor eyesight and had a dependent family.
Lecturer was Teaching First-Year NIT College Students
In the primary case it is alleged the defendant who was teaching first year students in 2015/16 asked for the bribe from student Victoria Faustine.
Prosecutor of the Institute for Prevention and Anti-Corruption (Takukutu), Vera Ndeoya claimed that on January 12, 2017 at Camp David’s lodge, located in Torch in Dar es Salaam the accused pleaded guilty to sexual assault.
It was alleged that the accused was an employee of the NIT in the Road and Transport Management course LTU 07101 using his authority forced the student to commit a bribe.
It was alleged that he applied for the bribe so that he could assist him in his repeat exam at the Road and Transport Management course he is studying on January 5, 2017.