Vice-President Kembo Mohadi and several former government
officials have been taken to the High Court by a Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP)
employee, Pascal Gonzo, who wants them charged for contempt of court after
failing to pay him US$80 000 in abduction damages.
Gonzo was in early December 2008 abducted together with his
workmate Broderick Takawira and ZPP director Jestina Mukoko for allegedly
plotting to topple the late former President Robert Mugabe’s administration
through recruiting people to undergo military training in neighbouring
Botswana.
At the time, Mohadi was co-Home Affairs minister with Giles
Mutsekwa.
According to court papers, Gonzo, Takawira and Mukoko’s
whereabouts remained unknown until December 24, 2008, when they first appeared
before the Harare Magistrates Court, after weeks of being held incommunicado
and being tortured. They were eventually acquitted.
Sometime in November 2019, the High Court ordered the State
to pay Gonzo US$80 000 for unlawful arrest and detention, assault, shock, pain
and suffering and costs of suit.
But despite the consent order, Mohadi, Mutsekwa, and their
co-defendants who included Patrick Chinamasa, Didymus Mutasa, Augustine
Chihuri, Paradzai Zimondi, Happyton Bonyongwe and other top police officers
failed to implement the order, prompting the current application.
“This is an application for an order holding respondents
(Mohadi and others) to be in contempt of court, and bind them over to purge
their contempt within a given time frame, failing which a warrant for the
committal of their persons to jail may be issued until they purge such
contempt,” Gonzo said.
According to Gonzo, the consent order was issued on
November 6, 2019 when the amount ought to have been paid within 30 days from
October 28, 2019 being the date upon which the parties entered into a deed of
settlement to that effect.
“The judgment debt remains unsatisfied despite the lapse of
the 30-day period within which it ought to have been settled. There can be no
doubt that respondents have knowledge of the judgment, it having been entered
into by consent and in view of the deed of settlement entered into between the
parties,” he said.
“There can be no doubt that respondents are aware of their
obligations to me (Gonzo) and have the necessary details to enable them to
fulfil their obligations, but are just unwilling to do so despite the existence
of an order by consent directing them to effect the payments in question.”
The matter is pending. Newsday
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