FORMER Midlands Provincial Affairs Minister Jason Machaya,
who has been in remand prison since Christmas Eve and tasted freedom for only
10 minutes last Thursday before being rearrested on fresh charges while leaving
hospital, appeared in court yesterday.
He appeared before Gweru magistrate Ms Mildred Matuvi,
charged with criminal abuse of office, and was remanded in custody to tomorrow.
This came as ex-Cabinet ministers Samuel Undenge and Walter
Mzembi, who were arrested last Friday for criminal abuse of office, were
yesterday released on US$300 and US$400 bail, respectively.
They were remanded to January 22. Machaya is accused of
unlawfully allocating 17 799 residential stands to developers.
It is alleged he received 1 791 commonage stands from the
developers; disposed of 1185 of them and allocated 192 others to the Apostolic
Christian Church of Zimbabwe.
Only the Local Government, Public Works and National
Housing Minister is responsible for allocating such stands.
Machaya’s lawyer, Mr Ambrose Dururu, applied for the case
to be dismissed before trial and to prove that his client had legal authority
to allocate the land in question.
He also wanted Machaya removed from remand. Magistrate
Matuvi deferred judgment to tomorrow.
Undenge is accused of prejudicing Zimbabwe Power Company of
US$12 650 while Mzembi is said to have unlawfully disposed of 16 Public Viewing
Area television screens worth US$800 000 that belonged to Government.
The two were represented by lawyers Messrs Alec Muchadehama
and Job Sikhala. Harare magistrate Mr Elisha Singano said the State had not
opposed their application and that bail was a constitutional right.
Mr Singano ordered them to surrender their passports, reside
at their given addresses, report to police every Friday and not to interfere
with witnesses.
It is alleged that on January 14, 2016, Undenge, a former
Energy Minister, abused his office by directing ZPC to hire Fruitful
Communications to promote Zim-Asset-based power projects without going to
tender.
Fruitful Communications then allegedly invoiced US$12 650
to ZPC and were paid but did not get any work done. The State says Undenge
favoured the communications firm contrary to his duties as a public officer.
On former Tourism Minister Mzembi, the State has it that
the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Ministry obtained US$2 million from
Treasury to purchase 40 LED PVA screens in 2010.
The money was paid to suppliers Shanghai Linso Digital
Technology Company, and the screens were recorded in the ministry’s asset
register upon delivery.
Mzembi allegedly abused his office criminally by
intentionally disposing of 16 screens via donations and loaning or hiring them
out to various institutions without Treasury’s approval.
Graft is among the factors weighing down Zimbabwe’s
economy, and the State has embarked on an anti-corruption blitz that has netted
high-profile characters such as former Government ministers Ignatius Chombo,
Jason Machaya, Walter Chidhakwa, Joseph Made and Makhosini Hlongwane.
Chombo allegedly connived with Psychology Chiwanga, R.
Pazvakavambwa, Iben Fransisco, James Chiyangwa, Elias Choto and L. Chimimba to
forge documents to transfer a Glen Lorne, Harare, property from the Harare City
Council to one Alois Chimeri.
He allegedly committed the offence during his stint as
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister. Chombo is also
accused of using his influence as Local Government Minister to arm-twist the
Harare City Council to allocate him residential stand No. 61 Helensvale,
Harare, which measures 193 716 square metres.
It is alleged he developed cluster houses on the land. Initially,
the City of Harare had asked Chombo to use the land for recreational purposes,
but he allegedly took the land for himself through Harvest-Net Enterprises, a
company he co-directed then.
Chombo is out of custody on bail, and has applied for relaxation
of his bail conditions. Chidhakwa was charged with abuse of office after
reportedly appointing former permanent secretary in his ministry, Professor
Francis Gudyanga, as a lone board member at the Minerals Marketing Corporation
of Zimbabwe.
This allegedly prejudiced MMCZ of US$28 910 which Prof
Gudyanga allegedly received as sitting fees when no board was in existence.
Other cases are at various legal stages. Sunday Mail
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