Ray Goba Suspended As Prosecutor-General
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Prosecutor- General Ray Goba has been suspended with immediate effect. Goba’s has been suspended to allow a tribunal to be set up to investigate his suitability to continue holding office. The Judicial Services Commission (JSC) is reported to have agreed to recommend that President Emmerson Mnangagwa sets up a tribunal to investigate his suitability to hold office on Wednesday. Goba is facing a number of allegations which include, failing to prosecute high profile criminals and putting his office into disrepute by using abusive language and insulting lawyers. He has also been accused of sneaking out of the country, without Cabinet’s authority.
The suspension comes barely 7 months after Goba was sworn in as prosecutor-general after his predecessor, Johannes Tomana, was fired by former president Robert Mugabe. Tomana was fired after allegations of misconduct and incompetence, following a recommendation from the tribunal which had been set up to investigate the charges against him.
Speaking to NewsDay, Goba said
I am one of the most qualified lawyers in the country and any allegations of incompetence against me are shocking. If it is true, I am really stunned. I took this job because of one person — the President. When he was my minister and Vice-President, he supported me in my career in public service and when he asked me to national duty, I took it.
Before he was ousted following the Zimbabwe Defence Forces military intervention in November, former President Robert Mugabe had tried to rescind Goba’s appointment as prosecutor general after allegations that Goba had been appointed without Mugabe’s knowledge. There were allegations that his appointment was signed by chief secretary to the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda, without Mugabe’s authorisation. The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) also took legal action against Mugabe for repealing the appointment of Prosecutor General Ray Goba, just 44 days after appointing him. Then High Court judge Justice Priscilla Chigumba granted an interdict order stopping the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) from instituting any processes to replace Ray Goba as the Prosecutor-General.
However, after the fall of Mugabe, President Emmerson Mnangagwa rehired Goba and swore him in as substantial prosecutor general in December 2017.
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This is a developing story and more details will be added as they come in.
More: NewsDay