A LOCAL firm, Dadmal Investiments (Pvt) Ltd has petitioned
the Harare Civil Court seeking an order to compel the Zimbabwe Republic Police
(ZRP) to investigate and arrest former Local Government minister, Ignatius
Chombo, over a botched stand deal.
In her founding affidavit, Dadmal Investiments corporate
secretary, Chyvonne Esters Nhira accused the ZRP of attempting to protect
Chombo by failing to properly investigate him on the stand, issue saying the
matter bordered on a civil transaction.
She cited the Commissioner-General of Police, Godwin
Matanga, the officer-in-charge Borrowdale Police Station, director criminal
investigation department (CID) and investigating officer CID Commercial Crimes
Unit in their official capacities as respondents.
“This is an application for an order compelling the first,
second, third and fourth respondents to properly investigate my police report
case reference number
4061238, CR205/06/19 and bring it before the court,” she
said.
“I further submit that the respondents’ actions are
tantamount to abuse of the law because they are clearly protecting the interest
of Mr Chombo as he is a former politician and has friends in high places of sorts
by rendering my police report false on the basis that it is a civil matter.”
Nhira said sometime in April 2019, it was brought to her
attention during an audit that a stand had been purchased from Chombo by her
company in 2007 and yet
the agreements and title deeds were never released.
Nhira further said at some point she was furnished with the
electronic transfer of the payment made to the lawyer who was handling the sale
on behalf of Chombo
and thereafter, several attempts made to set in touch with
him amicably to resolve the matter was to no avail.
“He (Chombo) has been evading contact with me or any other
company representative. I then made enquires on the status of the stand from
our company representative Malvern Chimutashu, who handled the sale in
2007. He informed me that Chombo physically showed him the stand to be
purchased and it was in El Shadai way in the Borrowdale/Glen Lorne area and gave me
the ZETSS application of full payment to Mr Chombo through his lawyers,” she
said.
The woman further said on April 3, 2019 she wrote a follow
up letter to the lawyers to find out if they could resolve the matter amicably.
Having failed to locate Chombo and resolve the matter
cordially, Nhira said she approached the police for help, but the latter
allegedly refused to arrest Chombo for fraudulently selling the stand.
“I reported the matter to Borrowdale Police Station and a
docket was opened under reference CR205/06/19. On 7 July 2019, I was shocked to
then receive an
outcome of my report stating that ‘case was filed false on
enquiry,” she said.
On July 22, 2019 she said, she then visited the Borrowdale
Police Station where she was advised that her case was civil and, therefore,
she should approach the
civil courts.
“I could not understand the basis of such a response. I
have the right to equal protection of the law. I submit that the failure of the
respondents to properly investigate and send my docket to court as is normal
procedure, is a clear denial of my right to equal protection of the law since
it has the same effect of preventing me from getting justice,” she said.
The matter is still pending. Newsday
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