News / National
Warrant of arrest for Tsvangirai's chief legal adviser
13 Apr 2013 at 05:00hrs | Views
A Harare magistrate has issued a warrant of arrest for MDC-T official Thabani Mpofu after he failed to appear in court yesterday on routine remand.
Mpofu is facing two charges of contravening the Firearms Act after he failed to renew his firearm certificate and did not secure it adequately.
Harare magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe issued the warrant of arrest yesterday.
Mpofu is also facing an additional charge of impersonating the police and compiling illegal "dockets" against Government officials together with Felix Matsinde, Mehluli Tshuma and Warship Dumba, a former Harare councillor.
They are charged with possessing articles for criminal use and breaching the Official Secrets Act.
The four were arrested together with Harare lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa who is facing obstructing the course of justice charges for allegedly trying to block the arrests.
The State represented by Mr Austin Muzivi and Mr Innocent Muchini from the Attorney General's office successfully applied for the warrant of arrest.
Allegations against Mpofu arose on March 17 when detectives received information that they were in possession of dockets privately compiled to discredit the judicial system.
It is alleged that in the dockets they claimed the police and the AG had failed or refused to investigate cases of corruption involving prominent Government officials.
It is further alleged that they had documents of police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri's background and another titled "Case for a full investigation into the Ministry of Lands-System of issuing offer letters 1 September, 2009".
A team of detectives went to Mpofu's residence and found some of the documents, including a laptop and a pistol.
The State alleges that the suspects indicated that they were legal advisors to the Prime Minister and researching on alleged corruption and criminal abuse of office and the appointment of Comm-Gen Chihuri.
Investigations allegedly revealed that they were being bankrolled by Institute for a Democratic Alliance for Zimbabwe, the court heard.
Mpofu is facing two charges of contravening the Firearms Act after he failed to renew his firearm certificate and did not secure it adequately.
Harare magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe issued the warrant of arrest yesterday.
Mpofu is also facing an additional charge of impersonating the police and compiling illegal "dockets" against Government officials together with Felix Matsinde, Mehluli Tshuma and Warship Dumba, a former Harare councillor.
They are charged with possessing articles for criminal use and breaching the Official Secrets Act.
The four were arrested together with Harare lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa who is facing obstructing the course of justice charges for allegedly trying to block the arrests.
Allegations against Mpofu arose on March 17 when detectives received information that they were in possession of dockets privately compiled to discredit the judicial system.
It is alleged that in the dockets they claimed the police and the AG had failed or refused to investigate cases of corruption involving prominent Government officials.
It is further alleged that they had documents of police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri's background and another titled "Case for a full investigation into the Ministry of Lands-System of issuing offer letters 1 September, 2009".
A team of detectives went to Mpofu's residence and found some of the documents, including a laptop and a pistol.
The State alleges that the suspects indicated that they were legal advisors to the Prime Minister and researching on alleged corruption and criminal abuse of office and the appointment of Comm-Gen Chihuri.
Investigations allegedly revealed that they were being bankrolled by Institute for a Democratic Alliance for Zimbabwe, the court heard.
Source - TH
