OUTSPOKEN prosecutor Levison Chikafu, still languishing in police cells after being arrested on Thursday in Mutare, says he now fears for his life.
Chikafu was arrested and released on Thursday but re-arrested on the same day on the same allegations of fraud and irregularly granting bail to suspects.
Chikafu, who is detained at Mutare rural police station, yesterday said he feared for his life since the arrest on Thursday.
"These people want to demonise me, saying I am a criminal, then isolate and eliminate me. I now fear for my life," he said.
Chikafu was handling two high-profile cases involving the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Patrick Chinamasa, and Lands and Security Minister Didymus Mutasa.
He was also trying to have Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operative, Joseph Mwale, prosecuted for his alleged role in the gruesome murder of two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) activists Talent Mabika and Tichaona Chiminya during 2000.
The two were virtually incinerated in their car near Murambinda growth point.
The police have ordered that no one should communicate or see Chikafu at the station, except his lawyer, Chris Ndlovu, of Gonese and Ndlovu legal practitioners.
"I am just sleeping in this cell for the past 48 hours and no police officer has come to talk to me. They just dumped me here," he said.
Chikafu said the detectives from the Law and Order section, who re-arrested him, told him they had instructions from police commissioner Augustine Chihuri to lock him up.
"Just write that Chikafu wants to know why Chihuri wants him arrested. If he has conscience he would think seriously about it. Now, I am not allowed to see or talk to my wife, friends and relatives," said Chikafu.
The former Manicaland area prosecutor, now studying at the Staff College in Harare, said he suspected his arrests had more to do with the cases he handled than with the alleged criminal accusations.
"The same detectives I had an altercation with after I demanded that they produce Mwale's docket are the same ones who arrested me. Is this a mere coincidence?" asked Chikafu.
Chikafu's efforts to have Mwale prosecuted have not succeeded. The CIO officer is widely believed to be the beneficiary of political protection at the highest level.
Ndlovu, Chikafu's lawyer, said by "illegally detaining" his client in a solitary cell the police wanted to disorient him and cause him so much anguish.
Ndlovu said he strongly suspected there were "political motives" in his client's arrests.
"I can't rule out political manipulation. Why would detectives from the Law and Order section arrest a fraud suspect? They have to deal with political and security related matters," he said.
When Chikafu was briefly released on Thursday the Attorney-General's Office, the police and Ndlovu had agreed to proceed by way of summons because of lack of evidence.
"The decision was reached by all stakeholders after a clear analysis of the available evidence." said Ndlovu. "When I asked them why they had re-arrested him, they said 'we have orders from above', meaning there was another hand behind (it all)," said Ndlovu.
He said Chikafu's detention was a clear sign of intimidation of the judiciary.
Police chief spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena confirmed that Chikafu was re-arrested and "had a case to answer".
zimfinalpush
No comments:
Post a Comment