Liberatus Barlow Mwanza. Police here have released the names of 10 suspects in the killing of Regional Police Commander Liberatus Barlow on October 13. at Kitangiri area.The men, who were arrested in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, gave conflicting accounts of the killing—the first that he was part of a love triangle and the second that a crime syndicate wanted Mr Barlow out of the way.
Addressing the media, Director of Criminal Investigation Robert Manumba said the arrest of the suspects was a major step towards solving the puzzle of Mr Barlow’s killing. Flanked by the Inspector General of Police Said Mwema, who flew to Mwanza yesterday, Mr Manumba named the main suspects as Muganyizi Petro, 36, a native of Kagera, and Chacha Mwita, 50 and a native of Mara Region. Magige Marwa, Edward Masota and Bhoke Mwita were arrested in Dar es Salaam.
Mr Manumba declined to name those arrested in Mwanza on the grounds that they could interfere with the ongoing investigations. In total, seven of the 10 suspects are being held in connection with the killing. “Our end of the investigation is almost complete,” he said. “Those arrested have provided important clues and evidence that the killing was an expert job. We’re trying to get it done as quickly as possible and be as thorough as possible.”
Commander Barlow was shot dead on October 13 at around 1am by assailants dressed as members of a community policing group as he was dropping off a woman identified as Dorothy Moses at her home in Kitangiri area.
Mwanza Regional Commissioner Evarist Ndikilo told journalists a day after the killing that there were indications that the killers knew Mr Barlow and had monitored his movements.
Thousands of Mwanza residents turned out to pay their last respects to Mr Barlow at Nyamagana stadium. They were led by Regional Commissioner Ndikilo, the minister for Home Affairs Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi and his counterpart from the Prime Minister’s office (Policy and Coordination), Mr William Lukuvi. Local politicians and government officials were in attendance. Also present were representatives of the security and defence forces.
The body was later flown to Dar es Salaam, where his former colleagues, family and friends also had a chance to pay their last respects. He was buried in Kilema village in Kilimanjaro region on October 17.
Ms Moses, who is a teacher at Nyamagana ‘B’ Primary School in the city, is being held at Kirumba Police Station for questioning.
Mr Manumba vowed earlier that he would leave no stone unturned until the killers were brought to book. But later confessed to The Citizen that the investigations into the assassination were getting more and more complicated and those held for questioning had not given any clues, making it difficult to charge them.
An investigator from the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF), who preferred to remain anonymous, had earlier told The Citizen that the killers could have been professional hit men since they did not leave any traces behind.
Reported by Frederick Katulanda, Sheilla Sezzy
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