Source: Charles Laiton, NewsDay
HIGHER Education minister, Jonathan Moyo yesterday requested for time to file his opposing papers to a High Court application filed by a Harare vendor seeking an order compelling the police to arrest him.
Moyo argued there had been late service of both the application and the notice of set-down to him.
Hardlife Mudzingwa approached the High Court seeking an order to compel the police to arrest Moyo over the alleged abuse of over $400 000 from coffers of the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund.
In the same application, Mudzingwa said he was also seeking an order for the Executive to distance itself from Moyo’s prosecution. He cited Moyo, Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko, Commissioner-General of Police Augustine Chihuri and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) as respondents.
Moyo’s lawyer, Advocate Lewis Uriri, however, declined to shed more light on the matter, but confirmed he appeared before Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo in chambers and the matter was deferred.
“I can confirm we appeared in chambers before Justice Matanda-Moyo and the matter was postponed to October 25 for hearing. That is all I can say for now. I have no further comment,” he said.
However, sources close to the development of the matter said Uriri protested the late service of both the application and the notice of set-down to his client, saying he had only received the court papers around 10am when the hearing was set down for 12:30pm.
According to the source, Mudzingwa also sought an amendment of his draft provisional order and was now seeking to compel both the police and Zacc to act on arresting Moyo.
Moyo has been hitting the headlines since his foiled “arrest” at the last Zanu PF politburo meeting in Harare last week on allegations of abusing public funds.
In his court papers, Mudzingwa said it was his constitutional right, as a Zimbabwean citizen, to have Moyo “brought before equity”.
Source: Charles Laiton, NewsDay