By Kusekwa Kusekwa
The High Court in Moshi has quashed the conviction and life sentence of Issa Abel Chando, who had been imprisoned for allegedly defiling a six-year-old girl in Siha District, Kilimanjaro Region.
In a ruling delivered recently by Judge Adrian Kilimi, the high court found that the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt, citing procedural irregularities and insufficient evidence to properly identify the accused.
“I cannot hold that the charge levelled against the appellant was proved to the required standard in law,” the judge stated.
“Consequently, I order the immediate release of the appellant from prison custody, unless held for some other lawful cause. It is so ordered.”
Chando had been convicted by the Siha District Court and sentenced to life imprisonment on the basis of defiling the minor in 2024 at Majengo area. He had consistently denied the charges.
In his appeal, Chando claimed a case of mistaken identity and that the trial court had relied on weak, contradictory and unreliable prosecution evidence. He maintained that the case was fabricated and that the nature of allegations lacked plausibility.
Judge Kilimi noted that the evidence presented at the trial failed to clearly connect Chando to the offence and that inconsistencies within key testimonies undermined the reliability of the prosecution’s case.
No official comment was immediately available from the prosecution or legal representatives at the time of reporting. The file of the child remains protected and sealed according to child safeguarding protocols.
Chando’s release marks another case in which the High Court has overturned a lower court’s conviction on flaws in investigation and procedures.
