STATE media claimed on Sunday that attorney general Johannes Tomana has put together a team of five legal experts to examine the possible breach of the country’s laws in the diplomatic cables released by whistle blowing website WikiLeaks.

“I have invoked Section 76 Sub-section 5 of the Constitution and the panel is already in place. It consists of five top practising lawyers who are members of the Law Society of Zimbabwe,” the state-run Sunday Mail quoted Tomana as saying.

“I am seeking a professional legal opinion from registered lawyers to see whether there is need to prosecute anyone following revelations by the WikiLeaks website,” he added.

The exercise could result in the prosecution of those cited.

“People should understand that this is a serious matter and these experts should be accorded the right to work privately. After their recommendations, I will then decide whether there is need to open a docket against anyone,” said Tomana.

However, members of the probe team were not named with the Sunday Mail claiming the secrecy was necessary to ensure the team’s “professional integrity and … independence”.

The development comes after Tomana told the privately-owned Independent newspaper that he never issued a statement regarding the establishment of the commission as claimed by The Herald newspaper.

“I do not have the powers to appoint a commission or committee,” Tomana told The Independent. “I do not know where all this is coming from.”

The Herald reported over Christmas that Tomana had issued a statement announcing plans to form a commission of inquiry which would examine what was described as “treasonous collusion between local Zimbabweans and the aggressive international world, particularly the United States”.

And, in a follow-up, the newspaper claimed the commission would be announced last Wednesday. But no such announcement was made.

Tomana appears to be under immense pressure from hawks in President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party who are keen to see Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and senior members of his MDC-T party prosecuted over the leaks.

Some of the cables claimed Tsvangirai had privately urged the United States and European countries to maintain sanctions against Zimbabwe while publicly appearing to back calls for their removal.

It was also claimed that Elton Mangoma, a senior official in the MDC-T and a member of the coalition cabinet had appealed to the US and European countries to contribute to a fund that would be used to buy-off the country’s service chiefs.

Senior Zanu PF officials claim the leaks provide evidence of Tsvangirai’s collusion with Western countries in their attempts to effect what the party describes as “illegal regime change”.

The officials have demanded that Tsvangirai resign from public office and face prosecution over the allegations.

President Mugabe gave tacit support to the calls during Zanu PF’s national conference last month insisting: "It should be treasonous to do so; treasonous to call for sanctions on the people and anyone doing so is inviting punishment … we want to have laws to deal with this.”