Mugabe's pal Van Hoogstraten threatens judges

HOOGSTRATEN

• Hoogstraten ditches UK for Zimbabwe

• Mugabe's delight at Hoogstraten release

• Mugabe financier Hoogstraten out of jail

By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe's financier and friend, the property tycoon Nicholas van Hoogstraten has vowed to sue his own legal team, a day after winning his appeal in a £5million civil claim over the death of a rival.

The 58-year-old, worth £500million, said he would sue the Crown Prosecution Service for malicious prosecution, Sussex Police for attempting to prosecute him for alleged assault and his lawyers for alleged incompetency.

He also said he would sue the family of the man he was convicted of killing and issued a chilling threat to the judges who he said should never set foot in southern Africa or "they will never see the light of the day".

Van Hoogstraten, who moved to Zimbabwe when freed from jail in December, said: "The (judges) didn't like being beaten at their own game. I hope one of those bastards sets foot in southern Africa one day. They'll never see the light of day."

He was sentenced to 10 years' jail two years ago for the manslaughter of businessman Mohammed Raja, who was gunned down by two hitmen in 1999 at home in Sutton.

The conviction was quashed seven months ago but the Raja family continued with a £5million civil lawsuit, freezing van Hoogstraten's assets.

On Wednesday three Appeal Court judges overturned several High Court rulings in the case.

Van Hoogstraten said yesterday: "They (the Rajas) are nothing, they're just Pa**s and complete nonentities."

The reclusive multimillionaire is already a major landowner in Zimbabwe and boasts of his friendship with President Mugabe.

In an interview with the British Sundat Timees newspaper in February, van Hoogstraten said he was planning to enter politics, but not in the UK fuelling speculation that he will be seeking public office in Zimbabwe.

"I am already involved with politics... well, not in this country," he said at the time.

Van Hoogstraten - who has described his own politics as "to the right of Attila the Hun" - defended Mugabe from criticism that he has overseen human-rights abuses and suppressed freedom of speech.

The Sunday Times also reported that van Hoogstraten was operating from an office in the outskirts of Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, as he strove to do a deal with the regime of President Mugabe to keep his business and land ventures afloat in the pariah nation.

The tycoon, is Zimbabwe’s largest private landowner and a vocal supporter and financial backer of Mugabe.
Additional reporting Daily Mirror (UK)
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