COURT officials at Bindura Magistrates Court have lodged a complaint with the chief magistrate against acting area public prosecutor Emmanuel Muchenga for alleged misconduct and corruption.
In a letter dated June 11 to then Chief Magistrate Herbert Mandeya, 18 court officials questioned Muchenga’s work ethic.
The letter was also copied to Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa, his deputy Jessie Majome, and the Director of Public Prosecutions, among others.“We write this minute with great disgruntlement over the conduct of the above mentioned prosecutor,” the letter says. “He has been on the verge of destroying the justice system for quite sometime now and we have written this minute to show our displeasure.”The court officials accused Muchinga of recently initiating the assault on a provincial magistrate in Bindura.They accused him of “profound interest” in the prosecution of court staff in cases he allegedly labels corrupt. In all the cases, the letter read, he has aided in the compilation of dockets and prosecuting the same.“Our concern is not that he is not doing his job but we can see that his war is against those disturbing his corrupt deeds,” the letter reads. Muchenga was also accused of misusing a government vehicle, which he allegedly uses to pirate daily to the capital. The court officials also accused him of impersonating the provincial magistrate.The court officials also criticised Muchenga’s 17-year stay at the provincial court for “patronising, subjecting and manipulating” other government workers “to fulfil his wishes”.“We can also note that he does not want or like anyone who has better ideas or wits than his. He has initiated the transfer or downfall of degreed prosecutors fearing his job security because he himself is a police prosecutor and this even puzzles us as to how he made his way into the justice system from the police with only 5 ‘O’ Levels,” the letter read.Last week, Muchenga represented the state in a case where a Bindura magistrate, Story Rushambwa, was charged with abusing public office.Efforts to get a comment from Mandeya were fruitless at the time of going to press. Mandeya was promoted this week to become the president of the labour court.
BY BERNARD MPOFU
