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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
The four MDC-T officials accused of compiling illegal dockets against Government officials were yesterday removed from remand pending the outcome of their matter at the Constitutional Court. Tabani Mpofu, Felix Matsinde, Mehluli Tshuma (all former public prosecutors) and Warship Dumba (a former Harare councillor) are facing charges of impersonating the police, possessing articles for criminal use and breaching the Official Secrets Act.
Recently, the quartet successfully made an application for referral of their matter to the Constitutional Court raising constitutional issues, which they said could only be dealt with by the court.

They appeared before magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe for their routine remand yesterday.
The prosecution had requested October 31 as the next remand date, but the court ruled that there was no reason to keep them on remand.

“The State did not give cogent reasons as to the position of the matter at the Constitutional Court,” said Mr Mahwe. “I see no reason why the accused persons should be kept on remand when the matter is at the Con Court. The State will not suffer any prejudice if they proceed by way of summons.”
It is alleged that sometime last year, detectives received information that the quartet was in possession of “dockets” they were privately compiling to discredit the judicial system.

They claimed that the police and the Attorney-General had failed or refused to investigate corruption involving prominent Government officials.
It is further alleged the four had documents on Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri’s background and another titled: “Case for a full investigation into the Ministry of Lands — System of issuing offer letters September 1, 2009”.

A team of detectives went to Mpofu’s residence and found some of the documents, including a laptop and a pistol.
The State alleged that the suspects indicated that they were legal advisors to the then Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and were researching on alleged corruption and criminal abuse of office and Comm-Gen Chihuri’s appointment.

Investigations revealed that the four were being bankrolled by the Institute for a Democratic Alternative for Zimbabwe.