Former Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri has won the Supreme Court appeal by the State which seeks to confiscate his properties acquired over his 25-year tenure at the helm of the Police.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had appealed against a June 2022 High Court ruling which removed some of Chihuri’s properties from the unexplained wealth orders, five months ago.
A three-judge Supreme Court panel comprising Justices Susan Mavangira, George Chiweshe and Joseph Musakwa upheld the decision by Justice Pisirayi Kwenda earlier this year.
The High court accepted Chihuri’s explanation regarding the source of funds generally, according to The Herald.
Chihuri’s argument:
Chihuri argued that over the period of employment, 37 years, he made savings on salaries, bonuses, savings from foreign trips and conditions of service benefits. He said he was a delegate and vice president for Interpol in Africa and was remunerated in US dollars.
He said he acquired all the assets prior to 2017, the period during which the State alleges he became involved in serious crime.
Chihuri also argued that all the properties were acquired by him and his wife through income from legitimate businesses.
He further argued that some of the properties were registered as the property of their children for estate planning purposes.
Justice Kwenda ruled that the state had failed to prove that Chihuri acquired his properties through underhand dealings.
Chihuri claims that various documents had been submitted with the application to prove the acquisition.