Tomana to appear before tribunal hearing

SUSPENDED Prosecutor-General Johannes Tomana is today expected to appear before a disciplinary tribunal to determine his suitability to continue holding the esteemed office.

Tomana is facing a number of charges, including defying court orders.

According to reliable sources, the hearing will be held at a Harare hotel.

Retired High Court judge Justice Moses Chinhengo chairs the three-member tribunal. The other members are University of Zimbabwe Dean of Law Mr Emmanuel Magade and a city lawyer Ms Melina Matshiya.

The inquiry is expected to be concluded within three months from the commencement date.

President Mugabe set up the tribunal following recommendations from the Judicial Service Commission in accordance with Section 187(3) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

JSC made recommendations to the President in May this year for the establishment of a tribunal to investigate and assess whether Mr Tomana is still fit to hold his office.

Mr Tomana is currently facing seven charges of criminal abuse of office at the Harare magistrates' court.

Last year in October, Mr Tomana was slapped with a 30-day jail term for contempt of court after he defied court orders to issue certificates for the private prosecution of Bikita West legislator Dr Munyaradzi Kereke, and Telecel shareholder Dr Jane Mutasa.

The sentence was wholly set aside on condition that he complied with the court orders and issued private prosecution certificates to Mr Francis Maramwidze and Telecel within 10 days, or he would be barred from practicing as a lawyer in Zimbabwe.

Kereke has since been jailed an effective 10 years for raping an 11-year-old relative while Mutasa's charges of swindling the company of airtime recharge cards worth millions of dollars were dropped.