Former Health minister David Parirenyatwa has applied for
discharge in a case in which he is accused of criminal abuse of office after
allegedly directing NatPharm chairman George Washaya to appoint Newman Madzikwa
as managing director.
In his application for discharge at the close of the State
case, Parirenyatwa said the State failed to prove a prima facie case against
him.
“There is no evidence that he committed the offence of
which he may be convicted of. There is a sound basis for ordering the discharge
of the accused at the close of the State case for the prosecution where there
is no evidence to prove an essential element of the offence,” the submission
read.
Parirenyatwa said the evidence led by the State was so
manifestly unreliable that no reasonable court could safely and properly
convict him.
The former Cabinet minister said he was caught in a blatant
bias exhibited by the prosecution of perceived G40 members by the Executive,
but there was no evidence to implicate him in the matter.
The State, represented by Brian Vito, is expected to
respond to the application before the February 13 ruling by magistrate Elijah
Makomo.
Parirenyatwa’s passport was released to allow him to attend
to an HIV/AIDS conference in South Korea from February 3-9. The matter was
postponed to February 13 for the ruling of the application for discharge.
Allegations against Parirenyatwa are that on June 4, 2018,
the former minister ordered Washaya to terminate Flora Nancy Sifeku’s contract
as managing director, saying that he required her services at the ministry’s
headquarters in Harare.
He also allegedly directed Washaya to appoint Madzikwa as
acting managing director with effect from June 1, 2018. The board complied and
the two were given six-month contracts with effect from June to November 30,
2018.
The prosecution said the two ended up receiving salaries at
the same time and thus prejudicing the company of $30 000. Newsday
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