HARARE magistrate Anita Tshuma has postponed the trial of four officials from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s office accused of breaching the Official Secrets Act, possessing articles for criminal use and impersonating the police to tomorrow because the presiding magistrate Tendai Mahwe was not available.
Phillip Chidavaenzi
Thabani Mpofu, Mehluli Tshuma, Felix Matsinde and a former Harare councillor Warship Dumba, who all work in Tsvangirai’s research and development office, were arrested on March 17.
They were later released on $500 bail each after High Court judge Justice Chinembiri Bhunu overruled the magistrates’ court’s decision against granting them bail. The four were arrested together with Harare lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa who is facing obstruction of justice charges for allegedly trying to block the arrests.
Allegations against the four arose on March 17 when detectives received information that they were in possession of dockets allegedly compiled to discredit the judicial system.
It is alleged that in the dockets they claimed the police and the Attorney-General had failed or refused to investigate cases of corruption involving prominent government officials.
It is further alleged that they had documents containing Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri’s background among other illegally compiled documents. A team of detectives went to Mpofu’s residence and found the documents, including a laptop and a pistol.
The State alleges that the suspects indicated they were researching on alleged corruption and criminal abuse of office and the appointment of Chihuri.
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