Chihuri Wants Apology From Mliswa

Impeccable family sources told RadioVOP that this was coming after several concerns from black farmers who benefited from the land reform programme just like Mliswa, said that the move to arrest the former sports personality and charge him with looting would backfire on Zanu (PF).

“There have been several behind the scenes meetings between Chihuri and senior relatives of Mliswa including his uncle Didymus Mutasa and the lawyers to try and strike an out of court settlement. I now understand  that Chihuri has since asked for an apology from Mliswa before the cases before the courts can proceed to trial,” said a source close to Mliswa.

The source said high powered delegations have been going to see Chihuri on almost a daily basis.

Mliswa faces numerous fraud charges including allegedly acquiring a motor spares company, Noshio Holdings Company illegally, looting farm equipment and properties and defrauding the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

The police claim that they have more than forty cases on Mliswa which they have been bringing to court in instalments.

“Most of the farmers have said that everyone would be arrested if Mliswa is to be tried and convicted for stealing farming equipment from the former white commercial farmers. The case is now very complicated,” said the source.

Mliswa, who has been denied bail on several occasions would be fit for bail if he is indicted for trial in all the cases that he is facing.

But Mliswa just before his arrest accused Chihuri of conniving with the former owner of the company to incriminate him in a fraud he did not commit.

In a stinging attack on the country’s top police officer,  Mliswa said the ‘persecution’ he was suffering would worsen the already bad image of the police whom he alleged was notorious for harassing and torturing people.

Mliswa said he bought 51 percent of Noshio Holdings from one Hammerskjold Banda and left the remainder with Paul Westwood who was now claiming that Mliswa forcibly entered into the company using threats of violence.

“It’s now clear to me that there is something fishy going on between Chihuri and Westwood because the police commissioner has clearly taken sides,” claimed Mliswa before his arrest.

Trouble for Mliswa started soon after his deal with Banda but Westwood maintained that the former fitness coach had forced his way into the company using his Zanu (PF) connections.

Mliswa and Westwood have been fighting since the beginning of the year and two months ago Mliswa was arrested for threatening Westwood with a text message.

After his arrest three weeks ago, together with the son of Mutasa’s son Martin, there was a major fallout between the Minister and Chihuri.

Mutasa and co-minister of home affairs Theresa Makone were on one side while Chihuri was on the other side.

Mutasa and Makone were later accused by the police of interfering with investigations by visiting police stations where Mliswa and Martin were detained, demanding their release.