MDC-T shadow minister challenges police on ‘harassment’

via MDC-T shadow minister challenges police on ‘harassment’ | SW Radio Africa by Tichaona Sibanda January 9, 2014

Senator Lilian Timveos, the MDC-T shadow Minister of Home Affairs has deplored the police for arresting citizens unnecessarily before carrying out thorough investigations.

Timveos told SW Radio Africa on Thursday that she feels the police are out to persecute officials from the opposition while shielding lawbreakers from prosecution.

This comes after her politician husband, Michael Timveos, the MDC-T MP for Zvishavane-Ngezi was brought to court Thursday to answer charges of issuing threats to one Paul Mundandi.

The shadow minister said in a bid to perform their duties, some officers have erred on many aspects that have at times put the reputation of the force in the spotlight.

The case brought against her husband Michael failed to take off on Thursday after the prosecution and defence agreed there was insufficient evidence to bring him to court.

The MP was reported to the police by Mundandi, who claimed he was threatened by Michael inside his business premises. Mundandi told the police that the Zvishavane-Ngezi MP simply told him ‘ibva pano, ndati ibva pano,’ (get away from here).

According to Michael’s lawyer, Tichaona Chivasa, the words uttered by his client do not constitute a criminal offence considering that he said them inside his private premises. Tthe alleged offence took place on 30th August 2013 and it was reported on 6th September 2013. But Chivasa said his client was only invited to go and give a warned and cautioned statement this Wednesday.

“The business is owned by Mr. Timveos, which means that the complainant could only be there with the blessings of the MP. The moment Mr. Timveos ceased to want the complainant to be there, the complainant would have become a trespasser and he could not resist an order to vacate,” said Chivasa, in his affidavit.

He added: “I am surprised that even the state had to take such a decision to waste state resources compiling a docket and taking the accused to court over such a trivial matter. There is no evidence constituting a criminal offence there. After we deliberated with the area Public Prosecutor, they ordered us to go home and they will summon the accused when they are ready with more evidence. Now we don’t know if they will get any evidence because they had compiled a full docket.”