Former Health and
Child Care Minister David Parirenyatwa yesterday accused police of dictating
what ex-NatPharm board chair Dr George Washaya should say when giving
statements during investigations in the case in which the former minister is
facing charges of criminal abuse of office.
Parirenyatwa made the accusation when his trial resumed at
the Harare magistrates court.
The trial continued after Prosecutor-General Mr Kumbirai
Hodzi gave the State the green light to continue with the matter after halting
the case some five months ago. Through his lawyer, Advocate Depak Mehta,
Parirenyatwa accused Dr Washaya of failing to be an independent man, as ‘there
was an objective with certain set of results, which were to be achieved’.
He said this after two statements bearing Dr Washaya’s
signatures and signed on different dates were produced when he was testifying
in court. The court had to adjourn to allow Dr Washaya to drive to Kambuzuma to
retrieve one of the statements, which was not among the State papers. In his
testimony, Dr Washaya acknowledged that the two statements carried his
signatures and that they were signed on two separate dates and places.
“The signatures are all mine,” he said. “The police called
me to their headquarters at the CID offices where I signed the first one. I
later signed the other one a few weeks later at my surgery.”
Asked if he would have signed the letters had he known that
they were, at some stage, going to incriminate Parirenyatwa and that the police
dictated what he should add in the statement, Dr Washaya said: “I signed the
letters without knowing that they will result in him being prosecuted. If I had
known I would have taken them to the lawyer first.
“The police phoned me and I assumed that they had discussed
the matter first. They were simply asking me questions and I was only
confirming what I knew.
“The two statements are not materially different.” The
State alleges that on June 4, 2018, Parirenyatwa ordered Dr Washaya to
terminate Ms Flora Nancy Sifeku’s contract as managing director, saying that he
required her services at the ministry’s headquarters in Harare. He allegedly
directed Mr Washaya to appoint Mr Newman Madzikwa as acting managing director
of NatPharm with effect from June 1, 2018. The board complied and the two were
given six-months contracts with effect from June to November 30, 2018.
The prosecution said the two ended up receiving salaries
for the same job, thereby prejudicing NatPharm of $30 000. Parirenyatwa is expected to be back in court today for
trial continuation.
Mr Elijah Makomo presided over the matter, while Mr Brian
Vito prosecuted. Herald
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