Hunting firm objects MP's suit
FAUSTINE KAPAMA
Daily News; Tuesday,September 04, 2007 @00:03

THE Morogoro-based Hunting Safaris Limited has objected to the suit by a legislator, Mrs Halima Mamuya, who is contesting forfeiture of her shares and termination of directorship in tourist hunting company.

In the objection, advocate Deusdedith Duncan, for the respondents, has asked the High Court to reject the amended plaint of the case for failure to abide to its orders dated July 25, this year.

High Court Judge Bernard Luanda of the Commercial Division was yesterday scheduled to proceed hearing the grounds of the objection, but directed the parties to the dispute to address him through written submissions.

Justice Luanda asked advocate Duncan to file his submission by September 11, while Mr John Ngeleshi, for the MP to file his reply to the submission by September 25. The judge
further ordered that Mr Duncan would have the opportunity to file a rejoinder, if any, by October 2.

He said that he would deliver the court's ruling on the matter on October 15.

In her amended plaint, Mrs Mamuya (CCM - Special Seats) is asking the court to declare the forfeiture of her shareholding and the termination of membership in the company that conducts its hunting activities in Southern Tanzania null and void and that she should be allowed to continue with her functions.

She is also seeking for orders requiring the company to pay her 350m/- in damages plus interest for the considerable injury on her reputation as a public figure.

The court has temporarily restrained her from entering the company's Sasawala Hunting Block in Ruvuma Region.

Mrs Mamuya was a company's director holding 8,518 shares. Others were Mr Jamal Abdallah Suleiman and Mr Alli Ahmed Saeed holding 8,519 and 8,518 shares, respectively.

The MP, Mr Suleiman and Mr Saeed formed the company in 2003 to conduct business of, among others, light and big game professional hunters extremists, export of trophies, stuffed animals and deal with business of tour guides and tourist consultant, trappers and mini-zoo keepers.

A year later, the company passed a resolution for calling on shares of its shareholders where a notice to that effect was issued on August 10, 2004.

The notice required the MP and Mr Saeed, who had allegedly not paid for their shares to pay at least 75 per cent of the shares they were holding.

The notice was to expire on September 9, 2004, after which their shares would be subjected to forfeiture, transfer or sale as per Articles of Association of the company. The duo allegedly failed to comply with the notice and subsequently lost both their shares and memberships in the company.

In her suit, however, Mrs Mamuya disputed that no lawful call has been made to the shareholders of the company since its initial registration.

Therefore, she alleged, her termination of membership in the company was unlawful and amounted at harassing, frustrating and embarrassing her.

She alleged that apart from her, other shareholders have not yet contributed any money for running of the company, nor have they made any payments for their shares.On her part, she claimed to have been maintaining hunting and tourist camps.