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{
    "id": 91137,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/91137/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 107,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Wako",
    "speaker_title": "The Attorney-General",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 208,
        "legal_name": "Sylvester Wakoli Bifwoli",
        "slug": "wakoli-bifwoli"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, first of all, I must state that the NCIC is a very important Commission with heavy responsibilities upon its shoulders to try to create this nation to be a cohesive society. Therefore, it behoves all of us, including the office of the Attorney-General, to support that Commission. But in the discharge of its functions, the rule of law has to be followed. If hon. Members listened to me very carefully, the three hon. Members and one Christine Miller who were taken to court, were not taken there unprocedurally. They were taken in the normal way between the complainant and the police. The police have the power to go ahead, where they think there is evidence, to prosecute. So, it was not unprocedural. But because of the importance of hate speech, it was thereafter that the NCIC itself decided that they must have procedures and modalities on how it will deal with those issues in future. A meeting was convened and it was chaired by the Vice-Chair of the NCIC at which there were representatives from the Department of Public Prosecutions and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). After lengthy discussions – I have the minutes here because the matter of hate speech is important – they agreed on the modalities of handling those issues. So, we are now following those modalities. That is why I am saying that in respect of Mr. Mwakwere’s case, it might have come up when those modalities were now in place. The police have to complete investigations and the file has to be taken to the tripartite committee. By the way, completed issues of law are involved, particularly when you are creating a balance on what is hate speech, what is freedom of expression and all those things. Sometimes, they are not easy to do. Then from the tripartite committee, the file comes to me to give appropriate directions."
}