High Court Reserves Judgement in Biti’s Phone Records Case

SW Radio Africa (London)

Tererai Karimakwenda

13 July 2011

The High Court on Wednesday reserved judgment in an application by the Finance Minister Tendai Biti, who is seeking to block the release of his mobile phone records to the police. The serious fraud squad at the Criminal Investigation Department claim they are investigating Biti for “abuse of office,” allegations that the Minister has dismissed as harassment.

Harare provincial Magistrate, Mishrod Guvamombe, had last week issued the police a warrant ordering Econet Wireless to release the Minister’s phone history. Biti’s lawyers immediately appealed to the High Court, saying the records contain “vital information” about the MDC-T and other organizations he is involved with.

Biti is also secretary general of the MDC-T, who is supposed to be a partner with ZANU PF in the coalition government. But he has been the target of attacks by ZANU PF mobs that twice descended on his Harare office. Unknown assailants also petrol bombed his home in Harare last month. The MDC-T have said the continued harassment of officials and supporters is a ZANU PF ploy to destabilize the coalition government.

As reported this week on SW Radio Africa the state owned Sunday Mail newspaper published an article some weeks ago, claiming Biti was having an affair with an economist in his Ministry. The paper revealed phone numbers which it claimed were used by Biti to communicate with the alleged mistress.

Five officials from the Finance Ministry were also arrested last week, one of them being the woman the state media is alleging had the affair with Biti.

As has recently been reported, the CIO have come up with yet another plan to discredit the MDC. This one is to expose real or imagined sexual escapades of the top leadership.

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