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Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
PROSECUTOR General Johannes Tomana yesterday said he was ready to prosecute former Vice President Joice Mujuru once police complete compiling a docket spelling out her alleged offences. “The Prosecutor General is waiting for the docket from the police,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of a Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Strategic Review Workshop in Gweru.
Dr Mujuru is accused of extorting 10 percent shareholding in companies, illicit dealings in diamonds and gold, attempting to defeat the course of justice, extorting investors, undermining the authority of President Mugabe and seeking to depose the President unconstitutionally.
She also allegedly received cash payments from Kenyan and Indian financiers who had invested into the Mujuru family-owned duty-free shops at Harare International Airport before elbowing them out in a manner that bordered on extortion.
The former Vice President did not only receive cash payments in violation of the Companies Act and income tax regulations, but is also accused of having used her political status to induce lawyers of the aggrieved parties, Musunga and Associates to renounce agency and forcing the investors out of the country after they had pumped over $1 million into the company.
In 2011, Cde Mujuru reportedly directed Secretary for Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Ringson Chitsiko to issue her family business with a permit to import chickens from Brazil against a government ban on such imports.
This was after she had allegedly struck a deal to import chickens from Brazil when she travelled to that country on official government business.
The permit was issued despite a legal instrument banning the importation of chickens as a way of protecting local farmers.
Some of the chickens were reportedly delivered to the Zimbabwe National Army in an effort to buy their allegiance in her illegal regime change efforts.
Tomana also reiterated that his office would not certify the prosecution of Bikita West legislator Cde Munyaradzi Kereke, who is being accused of raping a then 11-year-old girl, due to lack of supporting evidence and cooperation from the complainant.
Tomana said the docket opened against Cde Kereke lacked sufficient evidence that could cause the legislator to be taken to court.
He said the case was not prosecutable; hence he refused to certify the prosecution.
The guardian of the complainant has accused Tomana of dragging his feet.
“I can’t be dragging my feet over nothing. You are assuming that I have a case that is prosecutable but don’t want to prosecute. I declined (to prosecute Cde Kereke) because I don’t have enough evidence upon which I could take the case to court. Remember the only basis upon which we take cases to court is where we certify that the docket speaks to an offence and it contains the relevant evidence.
“There is a serious lack of supporting evidence for an important count that is in that docket. We have requested the co-operation of the complainant, but they have declined so what do they want us to do?” he said.
Tomana’s comment came in the wake of the complainant’s guardian, Francis Maramwidze, making a High Court application seeking the prosecution of the prosecutor-general for contempt of court and fined $ 1,000 imposed on him or six months imprisonment.
Maramwidze said the jail sentence would be wholly suspended on condition that within five days of the order, Tomana shall comply with the order issued on May 14 last year.
Tomana was on May 14 last year ordered to issue a certificate for the private prosecution of Cde Kereke.
Cde Kereke appealed against the decision at the Supreme Court but lost.
The family has accused Tomana of dragging his feet in prosecuting Cde Kereke.
Online Reporter