A REPATRIATE'S PLIGHT

Sohooba Keith Smith, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, answered President Nyereres call in 1980, and invested his lifes savings in Ndamakai Coffee Estates, a magnificent 1,750-acre farm in the mountains of Arusha, at the edge of Ngorogoro Crater. He brought his family and all his assets with him to his adopted country, hoping to "fulfill the dreams of his ancestors", but instead, his property was stolen in a violent conspiracy that tragically echoed their nightmares. Arrested in 1987 for defending his family from armed intruders on his farm, Smith property was stolen 3 weeks later by a German expatriate, aided by the African lawyer in a disturbing re-play of history. Smith spent 7 years in prison in Tanzania, before being pardoned by President Ali Hassan Mwynyi in 1994. Advised that it would be "too dangerous" for him to return to Arusha to investigate the state of his home and property, Smith was send back to Trinidad with nothing but the clothing on his back. His repatriated property and all the assets that he worked for over a lifetime have remained in the hands of illegal occupiers ever since.
In 2005, the Tanzania Legal and Human Rights Centre, representing Mr. Smith, attempted to open his restitution case in the High Court in Arusha, but were blocked from doing so by corrupt elements within the Arusha Police Department. Urged by his lawyers to seek diplomatic intervention and administrative assistance, after numerous entreaties, an investigation into his claims was finally launched by the Trinidadian and Tanzanian Foreign Ministries in 2007. In spite of this, Ndamakai Coffee Estates (renamed Acacia Hills Farms) was illegally resold again in March 2008, WHILE SMITH'S CASE WAS UNDER ACTIVE GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATION!

Category : News & Politics

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