FORMER Citizens Coalition for Change legislator for Silobela and E-Movement leader, Anadi Sululu, has written to Chief Justice Luke Malaba and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) seeking an audience over concerns about former Finance minister Ignatius Chombo’s unexplained extensive property holdings.
The concerns follow a divorce proceedings between Chombo and his wife, Marian, in which substantial property was listed as assets amassed during their marriage.
In a February 9 letter to Malaba, Sululu requested judicial oversight and due process concerning the unexplained assets of the former public official.
He noted that recent judicial disclosures from divorce proceedings involving Chombo revealed an extensive inventory of assets.
Sululu said the magnitude and diversity of the holdings appeared to be disproportionate to the lawful earnings of a public servant whose remuneration was primarily derived from a government salary.
“While it is acknowledged that courts are not forums for conjecture or arbitrary judgment, revelations of this scale inevitably raise grave public-interest concerns,” he wrote.
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“In the interest of justice, public confidence and institutional integrity, we respectfully request that appropriate judicial and lawful mechanisms be encouraged or activated to ensure an independent investigation — specifically, the facilitation of a formal inquiry by a legally-mandated authority, Zacc, into the origin and acquisition of the disclosed assets.”
He also demanded comprehensive asset verification, calling for a detailed lifestyle audit and verification process to account for the lawful sources of the properties and wealth in question.
“An audit of asset declarations should be done, comparing current holdings with prior asset declarations, where applicable, to determine whether there has been an unexplained or disproportionate accumulation of assets during the period of public service.”
The former legislator indicated that the request was advanced not to presume guilt, but to uphold the principle that no public official is above the law and that justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done.
“Where credible questions of this nature arise and remain unaddressed, silence or inaction risks eroding public trust in our institutions and undermining the moral authority of the State,” Sululu said.
“We further submit that the Judiciary, as the ultimate guardian of constitutionalism, bears a solemn responsibility to ensure that accountability is not selective, but universal.”
In his letter addressed to Zacc, he said: “The E-Movement, acting on behalf of a coalition of concerned citizens, hereby submits this formal complaint and request for an immediate investigation into the asset portfolio of former Cabinet minister Ignatius Chombo, as disclosed in recent public judicial records.
“Pursuant to section 255(1)(a) and (b) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Zacc is mandated to investigate all allegations of corruption and abuse of power in the public sector.”
He added that the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act empowers Zacc to seek “Unexplained Wealth Orders”, where an individual’s lifestyle or assets are significantly disproportionate to their known lawful income.
“We respectfully demand that Zacc exercises its constitutional duty to freeze assets, taking the necessary legal steps to ensure that the assets in question are not liquidated or moved beyond the reach of the law pending an investigation and to verify sources.
“This requires the subject to provide a sworn declaration explaining the specific lawful sources of funds used for each acquisition.”
Sululu had not received a response from Malaba and Zacc as of Tuesday.