A personal assistant to a Cabinet Minister allegedly
swindled the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) of over 19 000
litres of fuel and a vehicle after misrepresenting that his boss needed to
visit cyclone Idai-hit areas.
Cephas Chiwetu, who was employed as personal assistant to
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joel Biggie Matiza, got the
fuel and a Ford Ranger on the pretext that the minister needed to visit Chimanimani
and Chipinge many times, converting the fuel to personal use.
Chiwetu appeared in court last Thursday charged with
defrauding Zinara of 19 248 litres of fuel and abusing a Ford Ranger.
He appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Hoseah Mujaya
facing charges of fraud and criminal abuse of office as a public officer. Chiwetu
was not asked to plead and was released on $3 000 bail.
According to the State, Chiwetu’s duties involved liaising
with the principal executive assistant or private secretary pertaining to the
minister’s diary.
He was also said to be responsible for accompanying the
minister to his constituency, taking care of his belongings, coordinating with
his aides and doing some of his errands.
It is the State’s case that between March 26 to May 31,
2019, Chiwetu acted contrary to and inconsistently with his duties as a public
officer by originating requests for fuel purporting that Minister Matiza needed
fuel for his trips to Cyclone Idai-damaged places.
The court heard that during the time he requested the fuel
from Zinara, he was fully aware that Minister Matiza was receiving fuel from
his ministry.
It is alleged that Zinara lost $65 925 in fuel reportedly
requested by Chiwetu. Herald
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