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(TALKZIMBABWE) British spy named in cash for vote bribery

British spy named in cash for vote bribery
By: TH-TZG
Posted: Friday, April 1, 2011 1:12 pm

A BRITISH intelligence operative is behind MDC-T's claim that Zanu-PF tried to bribe legislators ahead of Tuesday's Speaker of the House of Assembly elections, reports from Harare suggest. Tim Cole, who works from Britain's Embassy in Harare, has been accused of masterminding what Zanu PF calls a smear campaign.

Yesterday, Tsholotsho North House of Assembly representative Professor Jonathan Moyo, one of two Zanu-PF lawmakers accused of trying to bribe the MDC-T MPs, said he was aware of Cole's role.

MDC-T on Tuesday alleged that Prof Moyo, Mwenezi East representative Kudakwashe Bhasikiti and Senator Believe Gaule (MDC) offered cash inducements of US$5 000 each to five legislators for them to vote for Zanu-PF's Simon Khaya Moyo in the Speaker ballot.

MDC-T's Lovemore Moyo won the election.

Prof Moyo yesterday said: "Just before the election of Speaker of the House of Assembly on Tuesday 29 March, the MDC-T issued a scandalously defamatory statement claiming that I had ‘tried to bribe' five of their unnamed MPs, allegedly by giving them US$5 000 each to get them to vote for the Zanu-PF candidate, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo.

"In the circumstances I have instructed my lawyers in Harare to take necessary legal action against the MDC-T and all those who featured in the defamation, including but not only Tendai Biti (MDC-T secretary-general), Nelson Chamisa (MDC-T spokesperson), Innocent Gonese (MDC-T Chief Whip in the House of Assembly), Dorcas Sibanda (legislator for Bulawayo Central) and their British handler Tim Cole."

Prof Moyo said Cole was central to the allegations.

"It is notable that a British intelligence officer, Tim Cole, was a central part of the MDC-T circus that made the defamatory allegations and this fact alone is enough not only to unmask the force behind the allegations, but also to explain why – in the run up to the election of Speaker – my cellphone experienced unusual technical interference which disappeared immediately after the election," he said.

Spokesperson in the British Embassy Keith Scott last night said: "The allegation (of Cole's involvement) is totally absurd.

"Tim Cole was in Johannesburg (South Africa) on March 29 when the Press conference was held."

He said British Embassy staff attended public meetings - such as political Press conferences - for their own purposes.

"That's the way we gather information on what is going on."

But Prof Moyo said the issue was not about Cole's whereabouts on the day of the Press conference, but rather his involvement in the events leading to that day.

MDC-T spokesperson Chamisa professed ignorance on who Cole was.

"I do not know anyone by that name. Is it a crime for our people to come and complain if there has been an attempt to bribe them?"

Chamisa said the truth would come out in the courts.

Prof Moyo castigated Cole for abusing his diplomatic cover to instigate illegal regime change in Zimbabwe.

"Tim Cole should know that, as revealed by WikiLeaks, it is only the British and US governments and their regime change allies that are currently throwing bribery money all over the place in the vain hope of bribing not just MDC-T elements but others in critical positions in various key sectors of the State to undermine the people's revolution."

The Tsholotsho North legislator said the money displayed at the MDC-T Press conference could have come from any source.

"One would have to be foolish or malicious to believe that the money which was comically brandished by Dorcas Sibanda came from me simply because the MDC-T says so," he said.

Prof Moyo said he had assisted a number of MPs from MDC-T in good faith in various ways, including their personal welfare and developmental matters in their constituencies.

This is not the first time British intelligence operatives have been implicated in Zimbabwe's internal State affairs since the formation of the inclusive Government in 2009.

Last year, Charles Heatly was fingered in the establishment of parallel government structures in Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's office.

Heatly came to Zimbabwe at the MDC-T leader's express request to the British government and is said to have been instrumental in crafting various policy proposals that came from the PM's Office.

Labels: BRIBERY, JONATHAN MOYO, MDC CORRUPTION, TREASON, UK

posted by MrK @ 2:41 PM