THE Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic) has ordered the Attorney General Johannes Tomana and the police to immediately respond to allegations raised by councillors that they are selectively applying the law by failing to investigate and prosecute the Minister of Local Government, Urban and Rural  Development Ignatius Chombo.

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Jomic orders Chombo probe

Comment & Analysis
BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE THE Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic) has ordered the Attorney General Johannes Tomana and the police to immediately respond to allegations raised by councillors that they are selectively applying the law by failing to investigate and prosecute the Minister of Local Government, Urban and Rural  Development Ignatius Chombo.

The Elected Councillors Association of Zimbabwe (Ecaz), who accuse Chombo of illegally acquiring vast tracks of land and property across the country, want the  assistance of Jomic in securing the arrest and prosecution of the former University of Zimbabwe lecturer.

 

The councillors had earlier on written to Jomic, an interparty body that was established to monitor the implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), to force the police and the AG’s office to explain why the two offices “were selectively enforcing the law”.

In a letter dated July 8 2011, Jomic demanded an explanation from the AG Johannes Tomana’s office and the Commissioner General of Police Augustine Chihuri over the allegations.

“The complaint (Ecaz) cites your office as one of the respondents and we have thus referred the case to you,” said the letter signed by Jomic Co-chairperson Oppah Muchinguri of Zanu PF.

“We look forward to your speedy response to the issues raised.”

Jomic communications manager Joram Nyathi said he was not aware of whether Tomana and Chihuri had responded to the Jomic letter.

“I was out the whole week, so I am not in the picture on what happened this week,” Nyathi said.

In an earlier correspondence to Jomic dated July 5 2011, Ecaz secretary for legal affairs Tinashe Madamombe expressed dismay that his association had reported Chombo to the police four times this year but no investigations were carried out.

“Whereas the police have shown the zeal in arresting ministers from the two MDC formations, even without an official complaint, they have been inexplicably reluctant to arrest Minister Chombo despite the documentary evidence presented to them,” said the letter.

The councillors conducted an audit into the city’s land dealings and found that Chombo and Harare business mogul Phillip Chiyangwa had illegally  acquired some land in Harare.

Chombo also owns several properties in other towns across the country.

Some of the councillors who were involved in the audit that unearthed irregularities in which Chombo acquired land have since been fired by the same minister for different reasons.