THE tribunal tasked to probe suspended Prosecutor-General, Johannes Tomana’s fitness to hold office has asked for more time to wrap up its investigations, NewsDay has learnt.
Source: Tomana tribunal seeks extension – NewsDay Zimbabwe December 20, 2016
BY PAIDAMOYO MUZULU
The Justice Moses Chinhengo-led tribunal was supposed to have finished its work by the end of October, when its three-month tenure expired, but is now seeking an extension after the hearing took longer than anticipated.
NewsDay is reliably informed that the tribunal, whose other members include the University of Zimbabwe’s dean of law, Emmanuel Magade and Harare lawyer Melania Matshiya, has since written to President Robert Mugabe, seeking an extension of its tenure to conclude the case.
Tomana’s lawyer, Tazorora Musarurwa, confirmed the development yesterday.
“Yes, I can confirm that the tribunal has tried all it could to finalise the process this year, but this has been in vain due to the number of witnesses and extensive nature of some of the evidence,” he said.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs permanent secretary, Virginia Mabhiza, was not immediately available for comment.
Mugabe, in appointing the tribunal in June this year, tasked the team to investigate Tomana on charges of defying court orders and criminal abuse of office, when Tomana withdrew sabotage charges against two military officers, who were allegedly caught in a foiled attempt to bomb the First Family’s Gushungo Dairy plant in Mazowe in January this year.
The other charges include failure to prosecute several cases that involved high-profile isuspects and failure to give certificates of private prosecution to Telecel Zimbabwe and Francis Maramwidze.
Telecel wanted to prosecute its former director, Jane Mutasa on charges of fraud, while Maramwidze wanted to prosecute former Bikita West MP Munyaradzi Kereke (Zanu PF) on rape and indecent assault charges.
Advocate Ray Goba is the acting Prosecutor-General.
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