STANDS SCAM : MAGISTRATE RAPS COPS

Police should have acted promptly over complaints that Delatfin Investments (Pvt) Limited director Felix Munyaradzi was involved in double allocation of residential stands in Sandton, Harare regional magistrate Mr Ngoni Nduna said yesterday.

He said the failure to act by the police was tantamount to misconduct as action should have been taken when the reports were initially made at Marborough Police Station last October.

He made the comments as he rejected Munyaradzi’s bail application on four counts of fraud.

 “The police could be accountable for misconduct, as they kept the matter without action after it having been reported in 2019. Something should have been done over the said period,” he said.

Mr Nduna said there was a possibility that Munyaradzi could interfere with investigations since most of the evidence lies at his company.

Rejecting the application for bail, the magistrate said he considered the relationship between the accused and his employees, since receipts and records are with his employees.

“There is need to ring-fence that evidence and that can only be achieved by remanding the accused in custody.”

Mr Nduna remanded Munyaradzi in custody to August 8, 2020 for his routine remand.

The State led by Mr Michael Reza had opposed Munyaradzi’s bail application saying he was likely to abscond, as more than 50 complaints had been raised against him.

Mr Reza called the investigations officer Superintendent Misheck Ngorima, who expressed fears that Munyaradzi would interfere with investigations.

Munyaradzi, through his lawyer Wellington Pasipanodya, cross-examined Supt Ngorima and filed written submissions.

“A careful analysis of the testimony presented by Superintendent Ngorima is instructive to the extent of the concessions that he makes through cross examination is the undeniable fact that the accused is a mere suspect who is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Whatever evidence has been lined up against him is yet to be tested at the trial.

“He is therefore entitled to his liberty especially as he is of fixed abode, is willing to surrender his passport, has a good defence to the charges and he is not a flight risk. In addition to the above, a reading of the request for remand show that investigations commenced in October 2019 starting at Marlborough Police under CR200/10/2019.

“The accused knew of these allegations since October 2019 but never attempted to flee the court’s jurisdiction in the face of these allegations,” said lawyer Pasipanodya. Herald

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