A FORMER police officer who got arrested after he testified against his ex-workmates in an inquest has petitioned President Robert Mugabe’s Office and Cabinet to intervene and order police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri to compensate him for unlawful arrest.
BY SILAS NKALA
Farayi Bazil Nyapokota was in 2011 arrested and kicked out of his official residence at Ross Camp after he testified against fellow police officers during an inquest into the murder of two suspected armed robbers while in custody.
Irked by the decision, Nyapokoto sought recourse at the High Court before Justice Lawrence Kamocha ruled in his favour and awarded him $50 000 as damages and further $6 400 being legal costs incurred, but Chihuri did not comply with the order.
Nyapokota recently wrote to Mugabe and Cabinet, accusing Chihuri of defying the court order and trying to absolve his subordinates from the matter.
“The Commissioner-General of Police has failed to comply with the court order and disregarded it as shown by his silence. We are dealing with the people who do not have respect of the law,” reads the letter.
He appealed to the Executive to intervene before he files for Chihuri to be charged with contempt of court.
Nyapokota’s lawyer Tanaka Muganyi also wrote to the director in Civil Division of the Attorney-General’s Office, raising the same concerns.
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“There is no willingness from the police to settle the judgment of the court. This is just a disregard of an order of a court by an arm of government of this country,” Muganyi said.
“Not only is this an embarrassment to the nation, but also a disappointment and frustration to our client. All the police are saying is that they are above the law and see court orders as useless phantoms.”
Justice Maphios Cheda at some point ruled that Superintendent Pilate Moyo be arrested for resisting the Deputy Sheriff’s efforts to attach his property after he was sued by Nyapokota over work-related victimisation.
This was after Justice Kamocha awarded Nyapokoto $56 000 damages against his superiors.
