Former president Robert Mugabe’s son-in-law, Simba Chikore is in hot soup as the state is pulling all the stops to prove its case beyond any doubt while seeking to impeach its witness for being hostile.
The state led by one Shumba said that the witness, Phillipa Phillips has some hidden agenda in protecting Chikore, who is in the dock for unlawfully detaining one of his former workers Bertha Zakeyo at the Zimbabwe Airways offices in Chishawasha Hills, Harare.
Phillips, who spent the whole testimony giving ‘I cant remember anything’ answers was declared a hostile witness by Magistrate Victoria Mashamba and was threatened with incarceration.
However, Phillips was unshaken as she stuck to her general answers after she had told the court that she has a previous relationship with both the accused and the complainant.
“I would not want to comment on the question if I had contacted the complainant on 7 June last year because I do not remember what happened last year.
“I don’t not know anything as of now because I have lost track on that. I wrote a letter to the state saying I can not be a witness in this matter because the accused has been my client and I was also a friend with the complainant,” said Phillips.
Before Magistrate Mashamba warned her about avoiding questions, she told the court that she had some non-closure documents she had signed so as not to say anything about the secret project which the three were involved into.
Prosecutor Shumba applied to the court for a re-interview with Phillips in which Jonathan Samukange, who is representing Chikore opposed.
Shumba said that he wants to bring justice to this matter.
In the statement which Phillips is alleged to have gave to the police, she had said that she contacted Zakeyo on the day in questions.
She had also told the court that she went to the Zimbabwe Airways premises wanting to rescue Zakeyo after she had called her for help and that the security guard denied her access at the gate while Zakeyo was locked inside.
In contradiction on evidence she gave to the court, Phillips had also told the police that Chikore should be charged with kidnapping but however denied the statement before the court.
She said that the statement was typed and she is not the one who typed it and the signature on the statement looks like hers and not hers.
Chikore is being alleged of detaining Zakeyo after firing her and ordered her to go, leaving company gadgets which she said had some secretes which she would use against Chikore.
Samukange however applied that the accused be discharged at the close of the state’s case upon Phillipa being declared a hostile witness.
Ruling of the application will be passed on 4 April 2019.
