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Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, police connived against Komichi
Phillip Chidavaenzi, NewsDay
September 20, 2013

https://www.newsday.co.zw/2013/09/20/zimbabwe-electoral-commission-police-connived-komichi/

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) officials worked in cahoots with the police in drafting statements deliberately pinning MDC-T chief elections officer Morgan Komichi who is accused of contravening the Electoral Act, Harare magistrate Tendai Mahwe heard yesterday.

Komichi’s lawyer Alec Muchadehama told the court while cross-examining Zec chief legal officer Shamiso Chahuruva that the third State witness’ police statement had portions that were strikingly similar to that of the commission’s deputy chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana.

Some of the portions, Muchadehama said, also bore resemblance to those on the statement of another witness, identified as Dominic Chidhakuza.

“This suggests that the police, together with you, must have connived to write what you wanted to portray as having happened, which explains the similarities in wording of the statements,” Muchadehama said.

Chahuruva, however, attributed the similarities to the fact that they were all present when Komichi came to present the ballots from the July 14-15 special vote which he allegedly tampered with.

Muchadehama then read out a portion in the statement, written by Chahuruva listing the people present at the meeting including “the chief legal officer Shamiso Barbara Chahuruva and myself”.

She then explained to the court that mentioning herself twice on the same list, including in the third person which Muchadehama suggested meant these were two different people — was a mistake on her part.

Chahuruva also gave oral evidence whose details contradicted those on her statement to the police. Although she said in her statement that when Komichi arrived at the Command Centre with the ballots he requested to see either the chairperson or the chief elections officer, in court she said Komichi said he wanted to see the “commission”.

“You are not the one who wrote the statement. It was written by the police,” Muchadehama claimed.

After yesterday’s proceedings, Muchadehama indicated to the court that today Komichi who has been in custody for over a month and a half will file a fresh bail application.

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