Thabani Mpofu arrest reasons: MDC Alliance and Neslon Chamisa’s Lawyer Thabani Mpofu will be spending a night at Rhodesville Police Station after he handed himself over to the police on Monday. Mpofu was taken into custody in what analysts believe is part of the Zanu PF government’s relentless campaign to decimate the opposition & its pillars. He is being prosecuted for a matter relating to abstraction of justice in the Simbarashe Zuze case. He is being represented by Beatrice Mtetwa.
The reasons behind the arrest of Thabani Mpofu
After it was confirmed that Mpofu was spending the night in police custody, Mtetwa said, “The allegations against Advocate Mpofu is that he brought an application in the name of a Simbarashe Zuze who the state is claiming doesn’t not exist. These allegations are not new they were investigated by the law society and police and they confirmed he exists. So its extremely surprising he is being locked up for this. And secondly, lawyers investigate cases and bring them to the advocate so you cannot just walk into a court with papers of a non existent person. So it boggles the mind that he is being accused of bringing those papers. The second charge is he is now being accused of plagiarism or to have used the affidavit that he used an affidavit on non existed Smbarashe Zuze according to the state to bring an application in the name of someone else. Of course when a case is dismissed due to a technicality you are entitled to bring the case having corrected whatever the technical faults the court perceived to have happened. That’s perfectly normal and that should not fall on the door of an advocate. This prosecution is wrong on all levels. Lawyers should feel free to represent cases without fear of being arrested.
It is a cardinal principle they you do not identify lawyers with the cause of their clients. It is also part of the UN guidelines on the role of lawyers that what you say you should be immune to what you say in court whether oral or written you should have immunity from sanctions as you are the re to represent your client. Lawyers sometimes get it wrong and if it is to be the interpretation of the law of the government of Zimbabwe then we lawyers will not be able to respond people.
The most grievous thing is that two institutions are involved. The supposedly independent prosecution department. It is the one that is prosecuting Thabani for challenging the appointment of the prosecutor general. Where can the people of Zimbabwe run to when their lawyers are harassed by the people institution who are supposed to protect them.”
He was warned before the arrest
Alex Magaisa, a prominent lawyer and former advisor to former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai warned Mpofu that he was facing arrest over trumped up charges three days ago. Magaisa claims the arrest of Mpofu without valid reasons is part of a systematic attack against the opposition. The reasons behind Mpofu’s arrest have also shocked Zimbabweans and captured the attention of the international community.
Mpofu is expected in court tomorrow.
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2. Beatrice Mtetwa said that Advocate Mpofu @adv_fulcrum is being accused of something that was already proven to be bogus.
Many in the legal profession believe that he is being targeted for being opposition leader @nelsonchamisa’s lawyer.
He is expected to be in court tomorrow pic.twitter.com/1nJrt2z9cD
— Hopewell Chin’ono (@daddyhope) June 1, 2020