Chombo Seeks To Have Criminal Proceedings Permanently Dropped, Says His Constitutional Rights Were Infringed ⋆ Pindula News

Former minister of finance Ignatius Chombo has made a constitutional application seeking to have all the criminal proceedings against him permanently dropped. Chombo who is facing charges of fraud, criminal abuse of office and contravening the Prevention of Corruption Act is arguing that his constitutional rights were infringed when he was detained by alleged soldiers after being apprehended by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces during Operation Restore Legacy. In his application, Chombo details some of the things he went through.

I am making this constitutional application in terms of section 85(1)(a) of the constitution of Zimbabwe, 2013, seeking a declaration by this honourable court in exercise of its jurisdiction in terms of section 171(1)c) of the constitution. As an appropriate relief in respect of the aforesaid infringements, I am seeking an order permanently staying my criminal prosecution.

…At around 1 am in the morning of the 15th of November 2018, I was awoken by loud noise. My wife woke up and wanted to establish what had happened. After some moments, a second explosion occurred. Immediately thereafter, I heard crackling sounds at the kitchen door area, and then footsteps in the roof area. The door in the bedroom to where we were was knocked down. I saw men in military uniform. They came and told me to lie down and a gun was pointed to my head. The same was told to my wife and housemaid.

…During my interrogation while blindfolded, the person guarding me would come in and identify himself as my ‘mother’ and on another day as my ‘father’, they would then ask me how I was doing and how my stay was. This was particularly traumatic for me because both of my parents had passed away.