HARARE – A court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for former finance minister Ignatius Chombo after he failed to appear in court.
Chombo, facing charges of criminal nuisance, had been due to appear before Harare magistrate Stanford Mambanje for routine remand, but was absent when his name was called.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) asked Mambanje to issue the warrant.
Chombo is jointly charged with former Zanu PF youth league duo Innocent Hamandishe and Kudzanai Chipanga. They are accused of wearing Zanu PF caps after their expulsion from the party when former President Robert Mugabe was ousted in a November 2017 military coup.
Zanu PF said they had no permission to wear the regalia, charges which their lawyers say amount to political persecution.
If convicted, the trio could face a fine or up to six months’ imprisonment.
Hamandishe and Chipanga were remanded to October 28.
Chombo was separately arrested on corruption charges, but his prosecution was stayed by the Constitutional Court which found he had been unlawfully detained by the military.
The NPA has since brought fresh corruption charges against him, but he is yet to stand trial.
