Fresh campaign to have Tsvangirai & Biti arrested launched

Zimbabwe police and Zanu-PF have launched a fresh campaign to crush the Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai in a plan which involves arresting Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Finance minister Tendai Biti and other top officials, Daily News on Sunday reported.

The MDC says it is aware Tsvangirai and Biti could be arrested soon but has warned that it will do everything to expose the "grand plan" to weaken the party ahead of possible elections.

A dossier has been compiled to support MDC's case against the clampdown, and would be handed over to Sadc and the African Union.

Police have been on the coat tails of both Tsvangirai and Biti for more than 6 months but critics say the probes are olitically-motivated.

Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena refused to reveal details on the matter.  

Last week, detectives scoured 4 financial unnamed institutions, perusing the financial records and transactions of civic society and relief groups suspected to be working with the MDC leadership in receiving direct funds for support to distressed groups.

This was the latest crack at some of the banks which had last year been visited on a different mission but allegedly involving Biti's transactions.

Sources said some senior bank executives at the financial institutions that were visited ave been placed under surveillance. This includes tapping their phones, monitoring their lockers at golf clubs and social holes.

At one institution, the detectives are said to have demanded the list of visitors to the founding official, list of messages and e-mail addresses of contacts.

However, the demands were ignored. The visits, according to the sources, had not been sanctioned by the RBZ, which supervises the financial institutions.