/ 27 June 2003

Zim police try to search opposition offices

Zimbabwe police on Friday attempted to search the offices of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party for ”subversive materials”, an MDC official said.

The official, who asked not to be named, said six police officers led by a detective inspector, came to the MDC’s offices in central Harare armed with a search warrant.

”The search warrant said they were looking for subversive materials,” said the official, but noted that the police only wanted to search one office — that of the party’s financial director.

They left 45 minutes later, as the financial director was out and his office locked. ”We suspect they think we’re keeping lots of money in the offices,” the MDC official said.

He said the police also left a list of nine MDC activists whom they wanted to interview.

The government recently accused the MDC of causing cash shortages by hoarding scarce bank notes to pay activists.

The opposition party denies the charges. – Sapa-AFP