THE intrigue surrounding the detention of a researcher whose organisation has exposed serious human rights violations at the notorious Chiadzwa diamond fields deepened after he was seized from the Harare Remand Prison on Friday night.
Farai Maguwu, the director of the Mutare-based Centre for Research and Development (CRD) was found at the notorious Matapi police station yesterday afternoon after a frantic search by his lawyers and his relatives.

He has been in remand prison since his arrest on June 3 on allegations that he gave Kimberley Process monitor, Abbey Chikane a document that contained state secrets.

Maguwu’s lawyer, Tinoziva Bere confirmed the activist was “snatched” from remand prison under unclear circumstances.

He said they now feared for his security because he was taken by officers from the CID’s Law and Order section who gained notoriety after they tortured MDC-T and human rights activists while in detention in 2008.

“Yes, its true, Farai was taken last night by CID Law and Order, where the investigating officer (Detective Inspector Dowa) is based,” Bere said.

“The team operates under the notorious (Chris) Makadenge, now a chief superintendent.
“He was secretly removed from remand. We believe this was done illegally and that the police had neither the consent of Farai, nor us his lawyers nor of the court that remanded him to Harare Prison.
“The police cannot arrest a person, charge him and oppose bail only to arrest them again from remand prison.”

Bere said police at Matapi denied them access to their client.
“His condition from 11am to 1pm (yesterday) was not known and we don’t know what they did to him. He was later moved to CID Law and Order for interrogation and we are yet to hear more details from the lawyers who are following him,” he said, adding that Maguwu was supposed to be examined by a medical practitioner.

Police spokesperson Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka refused to comment on the matter yesterday saying it was now before the courts.

Maguwu first appeared in court on Tuesday, six days after he handed himself to police in Mutare.
He was charged under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Section 31 for allegedly publishing or communicating false information.

On Thursday Harare magistrate Don Ndirowei denied Maguwu bail on the grounds that he faces serious charges and he was likely to interfere with investigations.

He said police were also yet to complete their investigations.
Ndirowei remanded the activist to June 23 and his lawyers are supposed to file another bail application at the High Court tomorrow.

Chikane has defended himself for passing on information he got from Maguwu to the authorities saying he did not approve of the way it was obtained.

Bere said Maguwu’s problems were a direct result of Chikane’s actions.
“I hope this Abbey Chikane can sleep in peace every night knowing that an innocent human rights defender is being persecuted daily at the instance of and or the complaint of one he took into his confidence,” he said.

“I also hope that the KP community realises what is happening and how brutality has been unleashed upon an innocent advocate for transparent inquiry into allegations of bloodletting and human suffering in Chiadzwa.”

CRD has been in the forefront of exposing human rights violations by soldiers and soldiers deployed to curb illegal mining activities and the rampant smuggling of the precious stones.

Maguwu said they had told Chikane that the diamond-smuggling syndicates controlled by soldiers continued to sprout in Chiadzwa.

BY SANDRA MANDIZVIDZA

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