Youth Assembly Security, Defense and Intelligence boss blasts police for unlawful arrest October 17, 2013 at 2:53pm Thursday, 17 October 2013 McLynton James Chidhakwa, the Secretary for Security, Defense and Intelligence, an MDC national Youth Assembly official who was arrested on the 12th of October on false charges of bombing Zanu PF offices in Machipisa says his arrest was a premeditated but futile attempt by the police and Zanu PF to persecute MDC members. Chidakwa was arrested on Friday (12th) at his workplace in Harare by the police officers from the Harare Central Law and Order Section. One of the officers identified himself as Sergeant Mavengano. He was taken to Harare Central Police Station where he was interrogated in Room 22 for the whole day by 10 detectives among them, Detective Inspector Mirimbo, Detective Inspector Ben Justice and Chief Superintendent Charles Ngirishi. During interrogation, Chidakwa was denied access to his lawyer who was present at the police station. The police officers wanted Chidakwa to plead guilty to bombing the Zanu PF sub-offices in Machipisa and Jongwe Printers in Harare. He was detained overnight at Rhodesville Police Station before he was picked up the next morning for further interrogation at Harare Central Police Station. “They were asking me the same silly questions that they asked the previous day,” said Chidakwa. It was only after his lawyer argued that Chidakwas continued detention would be illegal since it was coming close to 48 hours. Chidakwa was released into the custody of the lawyer after being given a warned and cautioned statement and on condition that he comes back on Monday and be taken to court. On Monday morning, Chidakwa with his lawyer returned to Harare Central Police Station but instead of being taken to court, he was taken to Room 22 and was further questioned by 10 male detectives and a female detective. “They were telling me that it is wrong for one to be a member of the MDC, that there should be no other political parties in Zimbabwe other than Zanu PF. Instead of being professional and doing their job properly, the police officers were acting as if they are Zanu PF political commissars,” said Chidakwa. After frantic attempts to nail Chidakwa for the Machipisa bombing, the police then withdrew the charges and told that the accused was now a State witness. “But again I refused because I had nothing to do with the bombing of Zanu PF offices. The big question was if I had previously signed the warned and cautioned statement denying the knowledge or anything to do with the case, how then would I become a witness moreso against who? The police officers were just desperate to be seen to be doing something that would please Zanu PF and not the justice system but they failed,” said Chidakwa. He was released in the late afternoon but Chidakwa remains determined to see real change in Zimbabwe despite the verbal intimidation and harassment that he experienced through the police officers. An unwavering Chidakwa said his arrest was unlawful adding that the police should be more professional in their duties and investigate properly all crimes in a non-partisan way. “Too much fear breeds misery in the land,” Chidakwa said. “The world knows that Zanu PF stole the 31 July elections, but that does not mean I can move around bombing their offices. I remain committed that the MDC led by none other than Dr Richard Morgan Tsvangirai is the only party that is able to bring real change and transformation to the people of Zimbabwe especially the youths who want jobs and a better life through free, fair and credible elections not the way Zanu PF did it by stealing the people’s vote,” Chidakwa said. The MDC maintains that, if the fire was indeed a result of an arson attack as Zanu PF would like to claim, then that was the work of Zanu PF factions that are tearing each other apart and as a people’s party, the MDC condemns such acts.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 07:06:17 +0000
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