Singida — SINGIDA District Court has sentenced 12 foreigners who entered the country illegally to pay afine of 100,000/- each or serve three months in jail. The convicts had earlier pleaded guilty to the charges against them.

Presiding District Resident Magistrate-in- Charge, Ms Flora Ndale, further ordered the bus christened Mtei Bus Service with registration numbers T 797 CDZ, which ferried the immigrants from Arusha to Singida on the material day to be impounded by the government.

Before the court appeared three Somalis and nine Ethiopians all accused of entering and staying in the country illegally. They pleaded guilty to the charge and subsequently paid the fines.

The Somalis included Ahmed Mohamed Mahamoud, Mohamed Abdi Osman and Yassin Mohamed Hassan and the Ethiopians included Adinan Abraham Haji, Tazama Dijamo Walano, Pakala Agore Mancha, Alam Ayele Gabrisilasie, Tasfai Sugart Kidisu and Atele Lipanso Gafje.

Others were Afendi Aden Suleyman, Abraham Mirato Shanko and Muhidin Sufian Ahmed. Earlier, the public prosecutor from the State Attorney's chambers here in Singida Region, Mr Ahmed Seif told the court that the twelve immigrants were apprehended by the police on Jan 17, this year at Kititimo area in Singida at 05:00 pm soon after they had disembarked from Mtei Bus.

Mr Ahmed further alleged before the court that all of the immigrants who had boarded the bus in Arusha had no legal documents to allow them to enter or stay in the country.