Dube was not asked to plead when she appeared before Gokwe
regional magistrate Mr Taurai Manwere at the Gweru Magistrates Court yesterday.
She did not attend the court hearing and was represented by her lawyers as she
is still recuperating under police guard at Claybank Hospital where she has
been admitted since Wednesday last week. Mr Manwere said there was no doubt
that Dube committed fraud and conspiracy to criminal abuse of duty. Mr Manwere
said Dube through her legal team did not dispute the allegations but was
focused on the legality of her arrest.
“After hearing arguments from the State and defence, one
can see that the accused has a case to answer. She is facing three counts of
fraud which are on the request for remand form. The defence didn’t argue with
regards to the charges but was arguing that her arrest was illegal, it was
unconstitutional. But the court feels that the accused has a case to answer.
The accused is remanded in custody to March 9,” ruled Mr Manwere.
Dube was represented by Advocate Joshua Chirambwe taking
instructions from her lawyers Mr Nqobani Sithole and Mr MacPatrick Zinyakatira.
Her lawyers had earlier made an application to postpone the matter to Tuesday
to allow for the verification of cellphone messages with regards to her arrest
from the investigation officer with service providers.
Mr Manwere ruled against the application saying it was the
duty of the State to verify the authenticity of evidence in court.
The State then called the investigation officer, Assistant
Commissioner Themba Mushoriwa, who said Dube was facing three counts of fraud.
Asst Comm Mushoriwa told the court that on 28 February, he went to Dube’s house
looking for her.
“She wasn’t home and I obtained her cellphone number. I
told her that I wanted to see her in connection with the said allegations in
which she was jointly charged with her company River Valley Properties,” he
said.
Asst Comm Mushoriwa told the court that they agreed to meet
at Gweru Police Station on 3 March at 8am.
He said later that day, he was told that she had been
admitted to Claybank Hospital. Asst Comm Mushoriwa said they went to the
hospital where an arrest was effected. Dube was supposed to appear in court on
Friday but failed to do so as she was bedridden at the hospital. She was still
in hospital yesterday under police guard. In a first at the Gweru Magistrates
court, a temporary court was set up at Claybank Hospital on Friday so that Mr
Manwere could see for himself the extent of the illness faced by Dube.
According to State papers Dube allegedly worked with former
Midlands Governor, Jason Machaya, who was jailed over land deals last
September, former senior Government official Matilda Manhambo and allocated
land and developed it without engineering designs. As a result, 669
beneficiaries suffered prejudice of over US$460 000. On count two and three,
Dube, working with Machaya and former Gweru District Administrator Shepherd
Marweyi allegedly allocated State land in Gweru, Shurugwi and Zvishavane
defrauding the Government of US$9 million.
In September last year Machaya (60) and provincial planning
officer Chaisayanyerwa Chibururu (50) were each sentenced to 48 months
imprisonment for unlawfully allocating 17 799 stands to land developers in
Gokwe town, who in turn gave them 1 000 stands worth US$900 000 which was
computed as ZW$900 000. Sunday News
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