Mr Mbowe was summoned on Tuesday but failed to turn up because of party commitments.
His lawyer also was having other responsibilities thus informing the police that he would report Wednesday. Yesterday, Mr Mbowe reported at the police headquarters at around 2pm.
He was accompanied by the party lawyer Peter Kibatala and other senior party officials, according to the opposition party’s director of information, Mr John Mnyika.
Police sources told The Citizen that Mr Mbowe was asked to submit a video that implicates the police in the June 15 Arusha bomb blast that claimed lives of four people injuring several others.
Contacted, police spokesperson Advera Senso did not want to divulge details, and instead blamed the social networks for circulating rumours, saying they were meddling into the normal duties of the law enforcers.
“This is not a big deal because anyone can be summoned to appear before the police. But I want to warn people that the police force does not work depending on anyone’s interest,” she said.
Mr Mbowe declared that the bombing had been planned and carried out by the police. He further claimed that high-resolution video footage and photographs were available, which clearly showed the perpetrator, who was wearing police uniform. The opposition party leader vowed to make the footages public and assured people that they had been deposited at a secure location.
However, Chadema officials have been giving pronouncements on different occasions that they would not hand over the video because the law enforcers were the ones accused.
Yesterday, Chadema secretary general Willibroad Slaa and Mr Mnyika told The Citizen that Mr Mbowe stuck to his guns and told the police he would not release the video until an independent body to investigate the matter was formed.
“This is the party’s Central Committee’s stance that we cannot handover our evidence to people who are accused and who we are no longer trusting,’’ said Dr Slaa.
His sentiments were echoed by Mr Mnyika who said the party had written to President Jakaya Kikwete asking him to form an independent team to investigate the incident.
“Although Mr Kikwete has not responded to our letter yet, we urge the police not to rush into this matter. Let them be patient and wait for an independent tribunal which is yet to be formed by the head of state’’ said Mr Mnyika, who is also the Ubungo MP.
Although Mr Mbowe was allowed to leave the police premises, the party’s lawyer Peter Kibatala was asked to submit in writing on Friday the reasons as to why the party was not ready to release evidence of the video.
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