The prosecution has finally completed investigations into a drug trafficking case facing former Boxing Federation of Tanzania (BFT) boss Shaaban Mintanga.

This was said yesterday by resident magistrate Liad Shamshana, when the case came up for a mention at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court. Magistrate Shamshana said the court, which has no powers to hear the case, would on December 12 conduct committal proceedings, which are aimed at tidying up the crucial issues, before forwarding the file to the High Court for a full trial.

"I was informed by the prosecution that investigations are complete and we have set December 12 as a date to conduct committal proceedings before the case is sent to the High Court for full trial," said Mr Shamshana. Mr Mintanga was first arraigned in August last year, charged with conspiring with six others on June 3 last year to export 4.8kg of heroin, valued at Sh120 million to Mauritius.

The former boxing federation president is still languishing in remand prison after the court refused to grant him bail on the ground that the offence was unbailable. The arraigning of Mr Mintanga came after two boxers, their coach and the team physician were arrested in Port Louis on June 11 last year, accused of possessing 373 pellets of heroine. The suspects, who included Olympic-bound Emelian Patrick Polino, were subsequently charged in Mauritius and their case is still dragging on.