Former minister Prisca Mupfumira yesterday indicated that
she was mentally ill and unfit to stand trial for now.
Mupfumira’s lawyer Charles Chinyama told the Deputy Chief
magistrate Chrispen Mberewere that she was mentally ill and had been instructed
by a renowned psychiatrist to take any trial or court proceedings after a
maximum of three months.
She wanted matter postponed to April next year.
“On the last postponement I indicated that Mupfumira
requires adequate time to recover from the surgery she went through after she
was granted bail and there is a letter from Dr. B Masunda showing that she is
not yet fit to stand trial, immediately after release from custody she started
suffering from mental depressions.
“Mangezi W, a renowned psychiatrist has recommended that
that any trial or proceedings be postponed for a period between six weeks to
three months so on normal calculations trial can only start in April next year;
she is not mentally fit to stand trial or to give full instructions,” said
Chinyama.
Chinyama also sought a postponement on the basis that the
state gave them papers on Friday and didn’t have adequate time to get ready for
trial.
Mupfumira’s alleged accomplice Ngoni Masoka who was
represented by Farai Mushoriwa also reiterated the impropriety to commence
trial as he received the papers last Friday and required adequate time to come
up with a defence outline.
In response to the applications, prosecutor Clemence
Chimbari demanded Mupfumira’s alleged health reports have to be verified by
doctors who should be summoned or in fact be examined by an independent
government psychiatrist who can then verify that indeed she is medically ill
and cannot stand trial.
The matter was remanded to December 13 and on that date,
the court shall hear evidence from her said doctors to verify the medical
reports.
The State alleged that sometime in 2013 Metbank defaulted
in payment of US$25, 3 million investment loan maturity to NSSA that was
secured with properties worth around US$32 million.
NSSA then took over Metbank properties they held as surety
to a value of US$25, 3 million on a purchase/sale agreement as a result NSSA
remained holding onto Metbank properties worth around US$7 million after
sealing the US$25.3 million investment loan.
As a result of the default, NSSA classified Metbak as a
high risk client that was not worth trading with and in December 2014 Mupfumira
was appointed minister of Public Service and on December 15, five days after
her appointment she held a meeting with Metbank officials Ozias
Bvute, Enoch Kamushinda and Belmont Ndebele at the ministry
offices where no minutes were recorded.
On December 16, 2014 Mupfumira and Masoka held another
meeting with then Nssa general manager James Matiza and the Metbank officials
at the ministry offices.
Mupfumira instructed Nssa to financially bail out Metbank
to the tune of US$15 million as it was facing liquidity challenges.
Nssa declined the proposal since Metbank had previously
defaulted in a US$25, 3 million loan advance. Mupfumira disregarded all that
and went to give James Matiza instruction to seriously consider.
Metbank’s loan request and process a loan of US$15million
to settle the bank’s US$5 million depositors credit and US$10 million for use
in housing projects and bring feedback the following day.
However, no minutes on the meeting were recorded.
Nssa resolved to decline the US$15 million loan request
after considering Metbank’s risk status however Mupfumira and Masoka forced
Nssa to purchase Metbank properties worth US$4 908 050 that they had not
intended to purchase. H Metro
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