via Gweru mayor, accomplices remanded in custody – Sunday News Mar 13, 2016
Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
SUSPENDED Gweru Mayor Councillor Hamutendi Kombayi, his Deputy Councillor Artwel Matyorauta and Town Clerk Daniel Matawu who were on Wednesday last week arrested on allegations of fraud, theft and criminal abuse of office after they funded MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s visit to Gweru to the tune of $8 000 from council coffers yesterday appeared in court facing charges of theft and criminal abuse of office.
The trio was not asked to plead when they appeared before Gweru magistrate Mrs Vimbai Makora who remanded them in custody to tomorrow after a heated four-hour court session which adjourned twice before the magistrate could reach the verdict.
The defence counsel had strongly opposed the remanding of the accused persons in custody claiming that they had been abused by police in that the law enforcers had delayed in preferring the charges and asking the accused the trio to write their warned and cautioned statements.
Lawyer Reginald Chidawanyika who was representing the three argued that there was no basis upon which they could be placed on remand because the papers placed before the court seeking the accused persons to be remanded were defective in that the charges preferred were inapplicable on the matter at hand.
“The annexure needs to be done so that it reflects the appropriate charge being preferred against the three. The State erred in preferring the charge of theft against the three accused persons,” he said.
The State led by Ms Helen Khosa and Mr Daniel Tafuma conceded that it had erred in the Form 242 which spells out the charges in brief and asked the court to alter and prefer the charge of criminal abuse of office.
The State later deferred the bail hearing to tomorrow.
For the State Ms Khosa alleged that during the period extending from 31 July 2013 to 30 June last year, Kombayi, Matyorauta and Matawu acting in common purpose hatched a plan and connived to steal and abuse ratepayers’ funds by making unlawful payments for non-council business to meet expenses for their private activities and functions.
During the said period the accused persons made a payment of $1 875 to Antelope Park and Resort and Fairmile Motel using rate payers’ funds to meet expenses of Mr Tsvangirai and his entourage’s private function.
Furthermore the accused persons made an unauthorised payment of $6 858 to Fairmile and Village Lodge using council’s funds without authority on non-council business to meet the expenses related to their personal and private business bringing the total to $8 733.
COMMENTS
EASY IF THEY NON ZANUPF! ZIMBABWE RUINOUS POLICE: ZRP!!!!!! IT WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU ONE DAY!!!!
WHO REPORETED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE? YES, THE POLICE COULD BE BIASED BUT WHO ON EARTH MADE THE REPORT TO THE POLICE. YOU SEE, WE ARE ALL INTO POLITICS, AND OPPOSITION POLITICS FOR THAT MATTER BUT JUST EXPLAIN HOW THE POPLICE COULD HAVE COME TO KNOW OF THIS (SCAM) BEFORE YOU JUST BRUSH THEM ASIDE FOR DOING THEIR JOB. WHAT YOU SHOULD, INSTEAD, BE SAYING IS THAT WHERE ZANU PF COUNCILLORS ARE INVOLVED, THEN SIMILLAR ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN
Rubbish man he more than a theft,but crock of note.
Well done our illustrious Police I am looking forward to seeing you demonstrating your professionalism once again with vim and vigour in investigating the whereabouts of the US15 billion reported by our competent and honest president to have gone missing from the diamond mines in Chiadzwa.
YES INDEED, QUICK ACTION IS DEMANDED FROM THE POLICE, AND THEIR INVESTIGATION SHOULD START AT THE PRESIDENT’S DOOR. NOBODY IS ABOVE THE LAW, AND BESIDES, THE PRESIDENT IS NOT BEING ARRESTED, BUT ALL HE IS COMPELLED TO DO IS TO INSTRUCT CHIHURI TO ARREST THE PEWRPETRATORS OF THIS CRIME AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE
Why are you screaming at us please stop writing in Caps.
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