News / National
Bonyongwe suffers strange break-ins
11 Jul 2019 at 02:55hrs | Views
POLICE are investigating two cases where unknown assailants broke into former Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) director-general Happyton Bonyongwe's offices and vehicle, getting away with documents and cellphones.
The assailants left other valuables including money.
The attackers, believed to be Bonyongwe's former juniors in the state spy agency, smashed the passenger window of his car, which was parked at Sam Levy Village in Harare on January 24, the first day that shops opened following mass street protests that brought the country to a standstill.
They stole documents and two cellphones. The matter was reported at Borrowdale police station.
In the second incident, unkown persons broke into his office at Kamusasa and Musendo Legal Practitioners offices in Central Harare on the evening of May 18. They made off with more documents.
The case was reported at Five Avenue Police Post on May 19, 2019 under case number HC2221/0519.
"There seems to be a systematic process whereby the attackers only target his documents and leave other valuables," a police source said.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the developments when contacted for comment on Wednesday this week. He said investigations were in progress.
He said the police have not been able to link any suspects to the break-ins.
"We received the two reports and we are conducting investigations in connection to those break-ins. We hope to establish what exactly transpired and have the possibility of picking up suspects," Nyathi said, refusing to give further details.
This comes hard on the heels of a series of other break-ins targeting one of Bonyongwe's senior lieutenants in the spy agency, former director of security Albert Ngulube who is now Zanu-PF legislator for Beitbridge East. Ngulube was former president Robert Mugabe's head of close security.
He was abducted and tortured during the November 2017 coup, which ended Mugabe's 37-year grip on power.
Bonyongwe left the CIO in October 2017 after Mugabe appointed him Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister.
His tenure at the ministry was, however, brief as he lost his ministerial post soon after Mugabe's ouster in a military coup the following month.
A qualified lawyer, Bonyongwe is now into fulltime legal practice.
The attacks come amid growing security concerns in President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration which is arming the police and the army, fearing civil unrest because of the deteriorating social and economic conditions.
The assailants left other valuables including money.
The attackers, believed to be Bonyongwe's former juniors in the state spy agency, smashed the passenger window of his car, which was parked at Sam Levy Village in Harare on January 24, the first day that shops opened following mass street protests that brought the country to a standstill.
They stole documents and two cellphones. The matter was reported at Borrowdale police station.
In the second incident, unkown persons broke into his office at Kamusasa and Musendo Legal Practitioners offices in Central Harare on the evening of May 18. They made off with more documents.
The case was reported at Five Avenue Police Post on May 19, 2019 under case number HC2221/0519.
"There seems to be a systematic process whereby the attackers only target his documents and leave other valuables," a police source said.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the developments when contacted for comment on Wednesday this week. He said investigations were in progress.
He said the police have not been able to link any suspects to the break-ins.
"We received the two reports and we are conducting investigations in connection to those break-ins. We hope to establish what exactly transpired and have the possibility of picking up suspects," Nyathi said, refusing to give further details.
This comes hard on the heels of a series of other break-ins targeting one of Bonyongwe's senior lieutenants in the spy agency, former director of security Albert Ngulube who is now Zanu-PF legislator for Beitbridge East. Ngulube was former president Robert Mugabe's head of close security.
He was abducted and tortured during the November 2017 coup, which ended Mugabe's 37-year grip on power.
Bonyongwe left the CIO in October 2017 after Mugabe appointed him Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister.
His tenure at the ministry was, however, brief as he lost his ministerial post soon after Mugabe's ouster in a military coup the following month.
A qualified lawyer, Bonyongwe is now into fulltime legal practice.
The attacks come amid growing security concerns in President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration which is arming the police and the army, fearing civil unrest because of the deteriorating social and economic conditions.
Source - the independent
