Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Assistant Inspector James Mabasa (38) is now a free man after Harare Magistrate Josephine Sande cleared him of any wrongdoing and acquitted him. Mabasa was accused of insulting ZRP National Spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner (SAC) Charity Charamba, whom he allegedly called an “idiot” in a Whatsapp group.
Magistrate Sande acquitted Mabasa at the end of the State’s case after noting that the State had failed to prove a prima facie against him. She also ruled that there was no evidence that the message referred to SAC Charamba. The Magistrate also said that Mbabasa’s right to privacy had been violated through the illegal seizure of his smartphone by the police.
The police disciplinary committee also withdrew its charges against Mabasa, after he had objected saying that the evidence which was to be used against him was not admissible in court as it had not been authenticated by Whatsapp.
Mabasa had allegedly sent the following message in a group.
The police used to hold meetings with magistrates and other law enforcement stakeholders to map a way forward, reducing lawlessness, but now it’s the other way round, the public have meetings with lawyers on ways to disregard police.
The public relations office is headed by an idiot, who doesn’t know that she has to encourage the public to be compliant to the police.
More: Herald