Zimbabwe parliament threatens Mugabe
News & Trends •
source63 zimbabwes parliament has threatened to charge the countrys former president robert mugabe with contempt if he does not appear at a hearing probing 15 billion in lost diamond revenue1 mugabe 94 failed to show up at a hearing monday before the zimbabwes mines and energy parliament portfolios committee to clarify claims he made in 2016 that the country had lost 15 billion through diamond leakages1 it was the second time mugabe did not turn up to face the lawmakers and he drew the anger of the committee officials who have ordered him to turn up on june 11 or face contempt charges and possible jail time1 we expect him to have time to appear before parliament. we expect him to co-operate and parliament has power to summon anyone said committee chairman temba mliswa monday told journalists in harare1 he added in the letter we are writing to him which is a final letter we are reminding him that we will be summoning him and we hope we are not getting to that stage of summoning a former president1 let me remind you that the former and late mp roy bennett was sent to prison by parliament. so lets be mindful of the powers the parliament has mliswa added1 during his 92nd birthday in 2016 mugabe told the state broadcaster that zimbabwe had lost 15 billion through diamond leakages resulting in him nationalizing the industry1 mugabe who ruled zimbabwe for nearly 38 years was forced to leave power last november after giving in to military pressure1 since then he has been rarely seen in public and only addressed a few journalists earlier this year when he accused his former deputy and successor president emmerson mnangagwa of dethroning him unconstitutionally1