Zanzibar Acid Attack: Hardline Cleric Surrenders to Police

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A hardline Islamic cleric wanted for questioning over the Zanzibar acid attack on two British teenagers handed himself in on Sunday as police faced criticism for their slow-paced investigations.

Detectives believe Issa Ponda may have inspired the attack on Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup, who remained in hospital being treated for their injuries last night.

Sheikh Ponda surrendered a day after he was injured during police attempts to arrest him on the orders of Tanzania's chief prosecutor.

He is under guard being treated in hospital and will be interrogated once doctors discharge him.

Miss Gee and Miss Trup, both 18 and from north London, were volunteering for at a Zanzibar nursery school when two men on a moped threw acid over them, wounding them on their faces, hands, legs, backs, necks and chests.

Both are said to be "devastated" by the extent of their injuries, which relatives fear will leave them with long-term physical and mental scars. » | Mike Pflanz, Stone Town, and Victoria Ward | Sunday, August 11, 2013

'Saudis Arrested' Over Tanzania Church Bombing
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Four Saudi Arabian nationals have been arrested in connection with a bomb attack on a Tanzanian church that the country's president has called "an act of terror".

The Vatican's ambassador to Tanzania was at the Roman Catholic church in Arusha, which had just been built and was holding its first mass, when the bomb went off.

He was unharmed, but two people died and 30 were injured in the first significant such raid on Tanzania's Christian community at worship.

Magesa Mulongo, the Arusha regional commissioner, said on Monday that six people had been arrested, two Tanzanians and four Saudis. » | Mike Pflanz, Nairobi and agencies | Monday, May 06, 2013

BAE in New Corruption Probe
DAILY MAIL: A minister in Tanzania accused of taking bribes from Britain's largest arms manufacturer has resigned.

Andrew Chenge quit after being accused of pocketing a backhander when his country bought a £20million military radar system from BAE Systems.

More than £500,000 was found in an offshore account belonging to the infrastructure minister, which is believed to be linked to the 2002 deal.

The company is already under scrutiny over claims it paid illegal "commissions" to win lucrative defence contracts.

The Serious Fraud Office is investigating the Tanzanian deal, which went ahead even though the east African state is one of the world's poorest countries.

Mr Chenge, a Harvard-educated lawyer, was attorney general at the time.

An earlier SFO inquiry into a record £43billion BAE arms deal with Saudi Arabia was stopped by the UK Government. Two weeks ago, the High Court ruled that this had been unlawful. BAE in New Corruption Probe as Tanzanian Minister Resigns over £500,000 Bribery Claim >>> By Daniel Martin | April 21, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)