§ 41. Mr. J. Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will specify the charges of alleged criminal libel aginst Julius Nyerere, President of the Tanganyika African National Union, made by the Tanganyika Government.
§ Mr. ProfumoI am circulating the precise terms of the charges in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. JohnsonWill the hon. Gentleman exercise special caution in these political cases against African leaders, in view of the unhappy and almost ineffective efforts in Kenya against the African elected members, which came in for special notice in The Times?
§ Mr. ProfumoAs the hon. Member knows, this case is still sub judice and I am not prepared to say anything at this stage.
The following are the precise terms:Julius Kambarage Nyere on or about the twenty-seventh day of May, 1958, in Dar-es-Salaam District of Eastern Province, unlawfully published in Issue No. 29 of the publication "Sauti Ya Tanu" the following defamatory matter concerning:(1) One F. B. Weeks, District Commissioner, Musoma, with intent to defame the said F. B. Weeks that is to say—"the present D.C. (meaning the said F. B, Weeks) in Musoma was D.C. in Geita when trouble began there … he 'succeeded' in Geita and hopes to 'succeed' in Musoma. A very senior Chief there (meaning Musoma) was taken to Court for cooked-up reasons (meaning that the said F. B. Weeks had been responsible for, or had been a party to, fabrication of evidence and false accusations against a Chief); he was duly convicted but on appeal won the case. The good D.C. (meaning the said F. B. Weeks) is refusing to let the Chief go back to his people.(2) One G. T. L. Scott, M.C., lately District Commissioner of Mahenge and presently District Commissioner of Songea, with intent to defame the said G. T. L. Scott, M.C., that is to say—"at one time trouble was reported in Mahenge. On inquiry I learnt that the D.C. (meaning the said G. T. L. Scott, M.C.), there (meaning Mahenge) had already closed a TANU branch (meaning a branch of the Society known as the Tanganyika African National Union) before being transferred to Mahenge … this evening I am interviewing an elderly gentleman from some district (meaning Songea) in the country. He thinks our branch (meaning a branch of the Society aforesaid) there (meaning Songea) is in danger of being closed. I am not surprised. The D.C. (meaning the said G. T. L. Scott, MC.), there (meaning Songea) is the good gentleman who, had he stayed long at Mahenge, would have closed dawn our branch there and is bound to close down this other branch. He (meaning the said G. T. L. Scott, M.C.), is now instigating people to make false accusations against TANU. He has already dismissed a sub-Chief who refused to give false evidence in Court against TANU.(3) One F. B. Weeks, District Commissioner of Musoma and one G. T. L. Scott, M.C., lately District Commissioner of Mahenge and presently District Commissioner of Songea, with intent to defame the said persons, that is to say—"these same officials (meaning inter alios the said F. B. Weeks 602 and the said G. T. L. Scott, MC.), who would have people commit perjury in Court if only to help them to vilify TANU (meaning the Society known as the Tanganyika African National Union); these same people who intimidate and punish innocents, cajole and reward crookery; have the temerity to invoke law and order.