The Tanganyika Lawyers Association (TLS) said Baraka Mkama, who identified himself as a lawyer and was seen preventing police from arresting his clients after being released from court, is neither a lawyer nor a member of TLS.

TLS President Lawyer Harold Sungusia and the TLS Leadership Council issued an official statement today regarding an incident that occurred on May 23, 2023 at the Magistrates Court in Sutu Dar es Salaam, where Mkama was seen preventing police from arresting his clients after being released by the court.

According to Sungusia after receiving the news of the incident, the TLS Leadership Council held an emergency meeting and formed a Select Committee of Inquiry, which was given a review to conduct a quick investigation of the incident, then inform TLS leadership of the appropriate action in accordance with the law.

He said the four-person committee, led by the Chairman of TLS Ilala Branch, began its work on May 24, 2023 and completed its report on May 26 and successfully interviewed Mkama and then talks with the police force, the judicial leadership and some of the complainants who had information about the incident.

He also said the committee reviewed the lawyers' registration system to satisfy itself about Mkama's statements, where he said that while the committee questioned Mkama he admitted he was not a lawyer although he had been working as a lawyer since 2019 and that in the cases he was managing acting as a lawyer he was charging his clients $<> million.

He said the Select Committee submitted a report on the incident to the TLS Leadership Council, where the council reviewed and discussed and satisfied itself that Mkama is neither a lawyer nor a member of TLS.

"The official and legal lawyers must be a member of TLS, also in the e-system – the lawyer for smartphones through the e-lawyer system called e-lawyer. if you enter the lawyer's name it brings you a picture and its details, if it is not a lawyer it will not bring you pictures or details," said TLS President Sungusia.

He said TLS will work with state agencies and justice agencies to ensure that appropriate legal action is taken against Mkama and other people with similar behavior.

"We have received many calls from various regions, they have already provided us with additional information about the network of non-lawyers working in the field of lawyers, so we are giving the Select Committee of Inquiry time to continue monitoring the network and submit additional information by May 31, 2023," said Sungusia.