Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) Biti fights police bid for his phone records

Biti fights police bid for his phone records
12/07/2011 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

FINANCE Minister Tendai Biti has taken Econet Wireless to court to stop the mobile phone company from releasing his phone records to the police.

Detectives sought to obtain details of Biti’s call history during the last fortnight, saying they were investigating criminal conduct – but the minister fears the move is a political plot to dig up embarrassing information about his private life.

In an affidavit filed at the High Court last week, the MDC-T secretary general said: “I understand and believe that certain members of the police have clandestinely approached the magistrate with a view to obtaining a search warrant.

“It is my respectful submission that such conduct would be unlawful, as it is against the provisions of the Interception of Communications Act.

“I fear that should Econet Wireless be bullied into submission, my constitutional right to privacy would be unjustifiably interfered with and, in addition, vital information pertaining to the organisations I am heading will be unlawfully accessed.”

Biti has reason to worry. Last month, the Zanu PF-leaning Sunday Mail newspaper took the extraordinary step of publishing the minister’s mobile phone numbers while accusing him of having an office romance with a married economist in his ministry.

The Mail’s report contained claims by Petronella Chishawa’s husband, Caesar Matandirotya, who claimed that he trawled through her phone and found a “recurring number” in the dialled and received call log. The number belonged to the minister, he claimed.
Last Thursday, Chishawa was arrested along with four other Finance Ministry employees over an alleged procurement fraud.

Biti’s MDC party accuses police of bias towards Zanu PF, and the minister fears his mobile phone records will inevitably end up in the hands of his political rivals.

Econet CEO Douglas Mboweni confirmed receiving a police request for Biti’s phone records and promised the company would “act in compliance with its operating licence and/or any lawful legislation governing the release of such information”.

Labels: MDC CORRUPTION, TENDAI BITI, TREASON

posted by MrK @ 4:59 PM