POLICE Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri on Wednesday conceded that the force would pay $64 000 in damages to a detective seeking incarceration of his former commander Superintendent Pilate Moyo for contempt of court.
RICHARD MUPONDE
Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese dismissed Chihuri’s urgent chamber application on the same day in which the police boss was seeking to shield his lieutenant from a jail term for defying a court order.
This was after Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Maphios Cheda had ordered Moyo’s arrest and incarceration for blocking the Sheriff from attaching his property.
Moyo had been sued by Detective Bazil Nyapokoto for work-related victimisation and he was awarded $64 000 in damages.
Makonese also upheld Cheda’s order for Moyo to be incarcerated.
However, in a turn of events yesterday, police reportedly backtracked, pledging to compensate Nyapokoto.
In an interview yesterday, Nyapokoto’s lawyer Tanaka Muganyi confirmed the development and said they would temporarily suspend Moyo’s incarceration to allow the police to pay damages to his client.
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“The police have conceded that they will pay the damages to my client and said they will pay the amount in two months,” Muganyi said.
“However, the order to arrest Superintendent Pilate Moyo still stands, but we are going to suspend the execution of that order to see through the police commitment to pay the damages.”
Nyapokoto had been kicked out from his official residence at Ross Camp after he testified against his workmate in an inquest on two armed robbery suspects.
Chihuri got involved when he filed an urgent chamber application last week, seeking a stay of execution of the order. He argued that Nyapokoto should not have sued Moyo in his official capacity.
Chihuri’s deputy Innocent Matibiri had also said in his founding affidavit that they were seeking recession of the order although they were barred to tender their plea as they had approached the court late due to administrative issues.
However, there was drama on Tuesday as Moyo was briefly arrested by the Deputy Sheriff outside the Bulawayo High Court when his case was being argued in the judge’s chambers.
Moyo heaved a sigh of relief 20 minutes later after Muganyi intervened and ordered his release until the matter was heard.
