(Last Updated on December 16, 2020 by ZIMDAILY EDITOR)
HARARE – The continued plots to silence outspoken veteran journalist and documentary film maker Hopewell Chin’ono seem to have intensified amid claims there are several women who have been approached and offered bribes so that they can initiate rape charges against him.
On Tuesday, the award winning journalist revealed on his Twitter platform that his legal team had received multiple calls from women who have been offered money to claim that Chin’ono had either raped or tried to rape them.
“My struggles with the State and the regime’s apparatus are far from over!Their aim is to shut me down so that I don’t talk at all.My legal team and myself have received calls from women who have been offered money to claim that I either raped them, or attempted to rape them.Tragic,” said Chino’no.
The State has in recent times tried to frustrate Chin’ono who has been exposing massive corruption in the country which involves top government officials.
In July, he was arrested on allegations of inciting public violence after he exposed the Covid-19 supplies procurement corruption scandal.
The scandal involved over US$60 million which was meant to procure various supplies to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and it led to the firing of former Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Obadiah Moyo.
Following his arrest, Chin’ono was denied bail multiple times which was later granted after he had spent 45 days at Chikurubi Maximum Prison.
He was then arrested again in November for obstructing justice after he tweeted something that related to the gold smuggling case against Henrietta Rushwaya.
Chin’ono is out on bail and is yet to stand trial for the two charges levelled against him.
His legal representative , top human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa was barred from representing him until on Tuesday when the High Court set aside the ruling from the lower court which had disqualified Mtetwa from representing him.
The courts initially denied him temporary access to his passport which he needed to seek medical attention outside the country until recently when the High Court granted the order to release his passport so that he can travel for medical treatment.
However, the High Court restricted his travel to Gauteng Province in South Africa despite the fact that he had secured an appointment in London.