Back to Index

AG's office refuses to apologise to Mutasa
The Zimbabwe Independent
September 01, 2006

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/viewinfo.cfm?linkid=11&id=6164&siteid=1

THE Attorney-General’s Office has refused to apologise to National Security minister Didymus Mutasa for utterances made in an open court by Manicaland area prosecutor Levison Chikafu during a high-profile trial.

Mutasa had given August 18 as the deadline for an apology for comments Chikafu made during the trial of Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa last month.

Mutasa took issue with Chikafu’s pronouncements that he would be taken to court and that his "wings must be clipped to the greatest extent".

He has threatened to sue for $100 million claiming that the comments imputed that "he is corrupt, that he is a common criminal and an abuser of his power as a minister".

On Wednesday, Mutasa’s lawyer, Gerald Mlotshwa, through his secretary, said he did not have a comment.

In a letter dated August 9, Mlotshwa said Mutasa would sue the Zimbabwe Independent for reporting Chikafu’s comments because "no effort whatsoever was made by the said paper to obtain our client’s views on the matter".
Mutasa, who is the Zanu PF secretary for administration, has also given notice to sue Rusape magistrate Loice Mukunyadzi for $100 000 for claiming that he intimidated magistrates.

"Our client advises that at no time did he ever threaten you or any other magistrate. Your action has defamed our client and we are instructed to demand, as we hereby do, payment of the sum of $100 000," said Mutasa through another of his lawyers, Magoge & Associates.

In a recent report to Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, Mukunyadzi said Mutasa intimidated magistrates at Rusape magistrates court in 2002 during a demonstration against the court’s decision to deny Zanu PF members bail.

"Mr Mutasa had to climb on top of his motor vehicle and addressed people from there… to the effect that we were MDC members and that courts are established by the party and that they fall under Chinamasa who is a member of the party. If magistrates act against the party he (Chinamasa) was in a position to have them transferred or fired."

Judgement in Chinamasa’s case of attempting to obstruct the course of justice is set for Monday.

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP