Mrs Makwande noted that Gudyanga has been attending court
since August 2018 and remanding him without bringing him to trial was not in
the interest of justice. “This is a matter which has been coming to court since
August 2018,” she said.
“Today you are telling us of an outstanding statement. Do
you think this is still in the interest of justice?”
State counsel Mr Taddy Kamuriwo had asked for deferment of
the matter to November 13, saying there was a crucial witness statement that
the prosecution wanted to obtain.
Mr Kamuriwo said progress was being stalled by the
complexity of the process to be followed in obtaining the statement.
“We hope to obtain the statement and furnish the accused
with the trial on November 13,” he said.
“This is considering the complexity of the protocol to be
followed in getting the statement. The process has already started and we hope
by the 13th of November it would have been completed.”
Mr Kamuriwo told the court that the docket was now with the
Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission after the Special Anti-Corruption Unit had
dealt with it.
Mrs Makwande urged the State to speed up the process before
remanding Gudyanga to November 13 for him to be furnished with a trial date.
The State alleges that from September 2014 to December
2015, Gudyanga, who was acting permanent secretary, ordered Minerals and
Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe to pay US$1 629 500 to Glammer (Private)
Limited through a company called Pedstock Investments, as Glammer was a foreign
company.
He also allegedly lied that the money was to be accounted
for as part of the dividends due to Government as the shareholder.
MMCZ released the money to Pedstock Investments, but it was
allegedly later discovered that the money had nothing to do with MMCZ and it
was not being paid to the Government, but instead was used in a fraudulent
arrangement Gudyanga had allegedly made. Herald
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