Tanzania, March 11 -- Arusha. The Court of Appeal has overturned a 20-year prison sentence given to an American national, Lionel Rayford, and ordered his immediate release, ruling that the trial court lacked jurisdiction because there was no valid consent from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to hear the case.

Mr Rayford was arrested on July 4, 2018, at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam while allegedly carrying 2.188 kilograms of heroin.

On May 26, 2023, the High Court, Commercial and Economic Crimes Division, sentenced him to 20 years in prison after finding him guilty.

He was charged and convicted contrary to section 15(1)(a) of the Drugs Control and Enforcement Act, Chapter 95, as amended in 2019 by the ...