HARARE – Prominent Harare lawyers Admire Rubaya and Advocate Slyvester Hashiti were freed on Z$5,000 and Z$10,000 bail respectively on Thursday after they became the latest casualties of a state crackdown on lawyers, which began last week.

Rubaya was jointly charged with money laundering with his wife, Miriam Chiba, a law officer in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and his client, Tapiwa Evans Chidemo.

Hashiti is facing a charge of criminal nuisance and was charged separately.

Rubaya, his wife and Chidemo appeared before deputy chief magistrate Crispen Mberewere and were not asked to plead.

According to the state, Chidemo who owns a property 2800 12th Class Shares of Parkland Court (Pvt) LTD held under certificate 121 was arrested in 2016 on allegations of fraud, accused of misappropriating Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) funds amounting US$1,2 million.

The case was heard at the Harare Magistrate’ Court with Chidemo represented by Rubaya.

The trial heard that the property was valued US$33,000 and it was also suspected to have been acquired unlawfully.

It is alleged that Chidemo, Rubaya and Chiba then connived to sell Chidemo’s property in a bid to conceal that it was one of his assets.

It was allegedly transferred to Chiba’s name to purport as if she had purchased it from Chidemo.

When, in 2017 the Department of Asset Forfeiture of the National Prosecuting Authority instituted proceedings to forfeit Chidemo’s assets, the trio allegedly did a fictitious sale of the property to purport that Chiba had purchased the said property for US$33 000, the prosecution said.

The transfer of the property to Chiba’s name came to light in 2017 when she went to the NPA opposing the freezing of the property, pending forfeiture.

It is alleged that investigations unearthed the scam.

Crackdown … Harare lawyer Sylvester Hashiti (far right) arrested on Wednesday accused of of criminal insult

Hashiti appeared before the same magistrate facing criminal insult charges.

The complainant in his case is prosecutor Zivanai Macharaga of the Special Anti-Corruption Unit.

The state alleges that on December 17, 2018, Hashiti falsely alleged that the prosecutor had received a US$20,000 bribe from an accused person in another case before the special court.

The state said the police investigated the claim and established that the allegations were false and meant to tarnish Macharaga’s reputation.

The three lawyers’ arrest brought to 11 the number of lawyers arrested in the last week, accused of a range of crimes. The Law Society of Zimbabwe has condemned the crackdown by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.