Rugare Gumbo still under police probe

Police are still investigating suspended Zanu-PF secretary for Information and Publicity Cde Rugare Gumbo, who was quizzed for almost two hours over the weekend over his role in the Baba Jukwa Facebook saga.

Sources yesterday confirmed that investigations on the case are still in progress, with the matter being handled by the CID Law and Order Section.

Cde Gumbo, who was accompanied by an unidentified colleague, was called to explain his involvement with the shadowy character at Criminal Investigations Department Headquarters.

He arrived at around 9am on Saturday and was questioned and released two hours later.

The decision to summon Cde Gumbo followed the arrest of The Sunday Mail Editor Edmund Kudzayi, who had been accused of being behind the faceless character.

In the run-up to the July 31, 2013 harmonised elections, Kudzayi worked in the Zanu-PF information and publicity department which Cde Gumbo superintended.

When contacted for comment on Sunday night Cde Gumbo declined to speak on his questioning.

President Mugabe recently quizzed Cde Gumbo on why police had not interrogated him given that he co-opted Kudzayi, the main suspect in the case into the ruling party's 2013 election campaign team.

It is understood that Cde Gumbo stammered saying he did not know Kudzayi personally.

The man police claim funded the Baba Jukwa Facebook page, Chawarika Matongorere, has also added his voice to the call for an investigation of Cde Gumbo over his involvement in the saga.

In an interview from his base in South Africa a fortnight ago, Matongorere said if claims by the police that Kudzayi was behind the faceless character was to be believed, it would make sense to interrogate Cde Gumbo, who employed him in the party's information department.

Kudzayi and his brother Phillip are accused of being behind the shadowy Facebook character and the duo have been arraigned before the magistrates court facing charges of terrorism, subversion and undermining the authority of the President through the Facebook account The brothers, who are on bail, were further remanded to December 8, when they appeared at the magistrates court on Friday.