BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE POLICE on Wednesday last week opened a criminal docket against acting Prosecutor-General Nelson Mutsonziwa for reportedly destroying a court docket in 2014.
The docket was opened at the Harare Central Police Station under case number IR 061520 following a complaint by businessman Chemist Siziba.
In a statement issued to the police by the complainant and gleaned by NewsDay, Siziba said the allegations pertain to Mutsonziwa’s conduct as a public prosecutor in the then Attorney-General’s Office.
“The allegations made pertain to his conduct as a public prosecutor in the then Attorney-General’s Office. Sometime in 2014, I reported a criminal case to the police at Harare Central Police Station.
“The accused persons in that matter are Paul Rijk Peacy, Craig John William Danckwerts, Ray Kaukonde, Samson Edmare and Jeremy Brook to do with a forged CR14,” Siziba wrote.
He said police investigated the matter and arrested the suspects and brought them before a Harare magistrate who placed them on remand.
“Nelson Mutsonziwa, in his capacity as a public prosecutor stationed at the then Attorney-General’s Office, summoned the docket purportedly to review same. I am advised that he was entitled to do so. Mutsonziwa then summoned me to his office and instructed me to withdraw the complaint and threatened to send me to prison if I did not comply with his directive,” Siziba wrote.
“I filed a complaint against him in 2014. The docket has not been seen or returned to the Magistrates Court at Rotten Row Avenue since 2014. I have written to him asking him to account for the docket, but he has neglected/failed to account for the docket.”
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Siziba further indicated that as a result of Mutsonziwa’s interference with the prosecution of the accused and non-availability of the docket, his complaint against Danckwerts has not been tried.
“I have since learnt that the accused under that docket were represented by one Mutsonziwa (now-deceased), who is the acting Prosecutor-General’s relative. I also learnt that Mutsonziwa has been in contact with the accused through proxies,” Siziba said, adding that his conduct was unlawful and inconsistent with his duties.
Allegations are that in December 1998, Siziba, through his firm Hawkhope Investments, purchased the entire share capital of Danckwerts’ two firms trading as Nyland Enterprises and Great-Insight Investments.
Both firms fell under Danckwerts’ holding company Danbro Holdings.
On August 25, 1999, Danckwerts, together with Peacey, resigned as directors of the two firms, leading to Siziba together with Margret Siziba and Bernadette Sekai Veteranwa assuming control of the two firms as the new directors.
However, sometime between 2011 and 2012, Danckwerts turned against Siziba and caused his arrest, accusing him of stealing his firms.
But police investigations revealed that Danckwerts had reportedly submitted a fraudulent form to the Registrar of Companies between February 2011 and May 2012 purporting to be still a director of the firms at the centre of the controversy.
Danckwerts allegedly later appointed former Mashonaland East Zanu PF provincial chairperson Ray Kaukonde, Jeremy Brooke and one Samson as co-directors, but Kaukonde and Samson later resigned after noting Danckwerts’ arrest.
According to Siziba, Danckwerts was being represented by Mutsonziwa’s relative the late Arthur Mutsonziwa of Atherstone and Cook Legal Practitioners.
- Follow Desmond on Twitter @DChingarande1
