Two Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers have been arrested on allegations of interfering with the probe of suspended CID director commissioner Chrispen Charumbira, who was recently arrested on corruption-related charges.
Stephen Kuwaza, 42, the officer in charge of CID Theft from the Car department and superintendent Alwis Shingirayi Chidziva, the superintendent administrator at Mutare Minerals Unit, were arrested last week and charged with obstructing the course of justice.
They appeared before Harare regional magistrate Bianca Makwande and were remanded in custody until Monday for bail application but the state has indicated its opposition to them being granted bail.
According to the state, Kuwaza threatened the cause of justice when he ordered the transfer of his junior, one Bryan Moyo, a key witness in the corruption-related charges against Charumbira.
The State says, on October 7, Moyo received a call from his lawyer that Kuwaza was pursuing a High Court order that had barred the police from transferring him until his matter was finalised.
State prosecutor George Manokore told the court that Moyo reportedly called Kuwaza inquiring why he was pursuing the matter and allegedly indicated that he had orders from his superiors to establish if Moyo had implicated commissioner Charumbira in his High Court application.
The state added that Moyo quizzed Kuwaza on who had given him the orders but he was evasive. The officer in charge of CID Theft from the car department then allegedly threatened Moyo.
“Zvinyaya zvenyu zvekusungisa mashefu echipurisa muchizviita makachenjera manje toda kuona kuti uchashandirepi. I’m the officer in charge here newewo uchatorisiya basa iri uchirikurida nehondo dzawatanga idzi,” Kuwaza is alleged to have said.
Meanwhile, the State told the court that Kuwaza’s conduct amounts to undue interference with a witness with the aim of obstructing justice.
Chidziva, however, is accused of intimidating a junior officer by reprimanding him for giving evidence in the investigations against Charumbira.
Meanwhile, according to the State owned Herald newspaper, thirteen senior and junior police officers have been accused of interfering with investigations into the case involving Charumbira.
