ATTORNEY-General Johannes Tomana yesterday defended Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri from accusations that he had failed to bring to book perpetrators of the 2008 elections violence due to bias.
Report by Nduduzo Tshuma
Speaking at a pass-out parade for 294 police officers at the Ntabazinduna Training Depot just outside Bulawayo, Tomana said: “Our police force equally observes and upholds human rights contrary to unsubstantiated and vexatious allegations of selective application of law and abuse of human rights.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Commissioner-General (Chihuri) has been vilified and demonised, accused of having failed to take necessary action on those that should be prosecuted. He has been accused of selective application of the law.
“We almost lost peace in 2008 and it is Chihuri and his experienced team who are responsible for the peace that the country is enjoying today. He will not be blamed for having failed to bring to book those who disturbed peace in the country. The systems that were working with the ZRP cannot be blamed also.”
Tomana added: “Ironically, such irresponsible utterances are coming from the same imperialists who, with impunity, abused the rights of black people during the colonial era. Let me thus applaud the ZRP for exhibiting professionalism when discharging its national, regional and international mandate.”
MDC-T leader Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out of the June 27 2008 presidential runoff election citing State-sponsored violence against his supporters.
He claimed over 200 of his supporters were killed and thousands displaced as President Robert Mugabe battled to overturn his first round defeat earlier in March to Tsvangirai.
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Meanwhile, Tomana said: “As the prosecuting authorities in Zimbabwe, we are also concerned about the granting of bail to offenders of serious crimes. Quite often, these offenders commit other crimes after being granted bail.
“In this regard, let me urge the police to ensure that sufficient evidence is made available in order for the Judiciary to deny them bail.”
