Former Vice President, Phelekezela Mphoko has said that his involvement in the release of former Zinara acting chief executive Moses Juma and non-executive director Davison Norupiri from police custody in 2016 was not a unique case.
He said that it is very similar to the case of a land baron and former ZANU PF youth leader, Godfrey Gomwe who was also released after president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s intervention.
It was alleged at that time that Gomwe had extorted about US$46 000 from housing cooperatives using former first lady Grace Mugabe’s name.
Mphoko said that his intervention in the ZINARA case was in partial fulfilment of his duties as a member of the presidium. In a statement yesterday through his daughter Siduduzile, the ex-VP said:
The Presidency is an institution … Mnangagwa was tasked to look into the resuscitation of the Ziscosteel, mining and exporting raw chrome, command agriculture and to resolve the Harare Zanu PF province, where Gomwe had been arrested. Mnangagwa’s intervention got Gomwe released from his arrest.
Mphoko further contends that his involvement in the case was actually to prevent unlawful further detention of the duo who had been set free by the courts.
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