Lissu’s cross-examination exposed major contradictions, creating courtroom drama and comedy.
The court sternly ordered the prison service to ensure Mr Lissu was provided with lunch for all future court dates and adjourned the case until February 13
Hali ya utulivu katika maeneo ya Dar es Salaam, Ruvuma na Mbeya imetajwa kuchangia kushindwa kwa mashahidi kusafiri na kufanya maandalizi ya shauri hilo.
If the court upholds any one of Lissu’s objections, the prosecution could be left with a case that is, in the words of the accused, “like a cart before a horse,” going nowhere.
The day’s proceedings saw the dramatic exit of Inspector Kaaya and the entrance of a new witness who began detailing a highly technical process for analysing the video evidence at the heart of the case.
On October 14, Tanzanian immigration authorities deported a German and a U.S. national for allegedly “violating” their visa conditions.
Lissu exposed major contradictions in the witness’s testimony and forced an admission that he had no evidence of treason.
Tundu Lissu turned his cross-examination of a police witness from a legal procedure into a political defence, framing his charged speech as a legitimate part of a decades-long fight for constitutional change in Tanzania.
Police cyber expert Inspector John Kaaya testifies about finding and preserving the key YouTube video, while Tundu Lissu continued to contest the evidence’s relevance.
Prosecutors defend treason charges against Lissu, claiming his speech was an “overt act,” while the opposition leader challenges the evidence and charges ahead of a key court decision.
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