Chihuri ordered to arrest Jonathan Moyo

Zimbabwe’s stand in Prosecutor-General Advocate Ray Goba has directed Commissioner-General of Police Augustine Chihuri to urgently act to arrest and lead Professor Jonathan Moyo to court to answer to fraud, corruption, money laundering and obstructing the course of justice charges.

He is accused of abusing nearly $500 000 belonging to (Zimdef).

Responding to questions by Norton National Assembly yesterday, Minister Chombo denied knowledge of any correspondence in which Adv Goba directed Comm-Gen Chihuri to take action against Prof Moyo. However, on November 1 2016, the Acting PG wrote to Comm-Gen Chihuri indicating that there was a strong case against Prof Moyo and directed the police boss to finalise the criminal case.

The letter was attached to Adv Goba’s bunch of papers opposing Minister Moyo’s pending Constitutional Court challenge against his arrest.

“Accordingly, acting under the powers vested in me under Section 259 (11) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, I hereby direct you, Dr Augustine Chihuri, Commissioner General of the Zimbabwe Republic Police to complete the usual criminal procedures stated above, including but not limited to recording warned and cautioned statements from each and all the alleged perpetrators mentioned herein for each and all the alleged charges jointly as they acted in concert and in common purpose to defraud, steal, launder the proceeds and corruptly to feather their own nests,” said Adv Goba.

The Acting PG said Minister Moyo should also be charged with defeating the course of justice. “In regard Jonathan Moyo, a further charge of obstruction and defeating the course of justice by virtue of his conduct which is tantamount to compounding the crimes alleged, should be separately added.

“His public conduct and utterances are ample testimony thereof,” he said. Adv Goba urged Commissioner Gen Chihuri to expeditiously work on the matter because it was of public importance.

“In accordance with the provisions of Section 259(11) aforesaid, you are required to comply with my directive and to report to me what you will have done thereupon. “As the matter is of extreme public interest, I direct that you act without delay and in any event within 48 hours of service of this directive on you and in due course submit the police crime docket for finalisation,” reads part of the letter.

Adv Goba, in the same letter, indicated that his office had carefully perused the docket and concluded that Minister Moyo and his subordinates had committed the offence.