Yesterday (Thursday), the cleric was hauled before Mutare
provincial magistrate, Mr Rich Ramaboea, facing charges of contravening Section
14(2) (c) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Chapter 9:16 or alternatively
defeating or obstructing the course of justice as defined in Section 184(1)(e)
as read with Section 184(b)(2) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform)
Act, Chapter 9:23.
He was granted $10 000 bail and told not to interfere with
State witnesses. The case goes for trial on December 30. Area public
prosecutor, Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira, said Gilbert Sambona, a priest, was the
complainant in the matter.
“Sometime in 2018, ZACC received a report on allegations of
theft of trust property against Ruwona and four other accomplices, Samuel Magada,
Kuziwa Sagwete, Daniel Nemumba and Ashel Mutungura. The key witness in this
case was the complainant, Sambona. During the same year, ZACC investigators
come to Mutare to investigate the reported case and recorded a statement from
Sambona. The statement covered evidence of how a church vehicle which was in
the custody of Sambona was sold by Ruwona and his accomplices,” said Mr
Mutyasira.
The court heard that on November 14, 2018, the complainant
was subpoenaed to testify at the Mutare Magistrates’ Court against the bishop.
“Soon after testifying against the accused person, the
bishop threatened the complainant with termination of his employment. On
November 19, 2018, the complainant received a WhatsApp message from a UK
registered number stating that he had been fired from the Anglican Diocese of
Manicaland and the number had Ruwona’s profile picture and his friends. On
December 13, 2018, Sambona received a letter from Ruwona notifying him that his
licence as a priest had been revoked in terms of Canon 16(2) of the
constitution and Canon of Church of the Province of Central Africa.”
On February 5, 2019, Sambona allegedly wrote a letter to
Ruwona objecting to the revocation of his licence.
On March 11, 2019, Sambona’s lawyers wrote a letter to
Ruwona formally lodging an objection to the revocation of the complainant’s
licence citing that the statement and evidence given by the complainant to the
police were not false and the fact that Ruwona was acquitted does not make
Sambona statement false.
The same year on November 1, Ruwona allegedly chaired a
commission of inquiry to revoke Sambona’s licence, but the complainant did not
attend.
Mr Mutyasira said Ruwona ceased paying Sambona’s salary as
from 2018 to date and kicked him out of the church accommodation and gave it to
another priest.
“The accused person being the bishop of the Anglican
Diocese of Manicaland acted in a manner calculated or likely to prejudice the
complainant because he had given information to ZACC concerning the theft of a
motor vehicle,” said Mr Mutyasira.
The bishop’s lawyer, Mr Passmore Nyakureba of Maunga and
Maanda Associates, successfully applied for bail after telling the court that
by firing Sambona, his client had acted lawfully according to the Canon
dictates of the Anglican Church and the State must not use that episode as
interference.
Although the State had initially opposed bail on grounds
that the accused person had a propensity to interfere with State witnesses, Mr
Mutyasira finally consented to bail. Manica Post
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