Source: Jonathan Moyo citizen arrest case opens – DailyNews Live
Tarisai Machakaire 8 February 2017
HARARE – MDC Harare province youth secretary-general Denford Ngadziore
appeared in court yesterday charged with convening an unsanctioned
gathering in which he is accused of attempting a citizen arrest on Higher
and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo for an alleged $400 000
fraud.
Ngadziore sought discharge at the close of the State case.
The MDC activist, 32, was represented by Obey Shava when he appeared
before Harare magistrate Lazini Ncube charged with contravening section
25(5) of the Public Order and Security Act – which prohibits convening a
public gathering without notifying the regulatory authority.
Shava urged the court to acquit his client because the State witnesses had
failed to proffer relevant evidence linking his client to the offence.
“All the State witnesses confirmed that they had not witnessed anything
pertaining to the alleged offence rather their evidence was based on
hearsay.
“I did not even bother myself cross examining the third and first witness
because their evidence was clearly irrelevant,” Shava said.
Prosecutor Nancy Chandakaona responded that it was not in dispute that
Ngadziore had approached Moyo’s personal assistant on the day in question
hence a nexus existed between him and the offence.
“It is not in dispute that the accused person was at the scene. He was not
granted any permission to convene or organise a demonstration and there is
no proof to show that they had been authorised to do so.”
Allegations are that on October 17 this year at around 11am, Ngadziore,
went to the Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology ministry
offices, where he convened and addressed an unsanctioned gathering
demanding the immediate arrest of Moyo over the misappropriation of money
from the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef).
Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc)
investigations committee Goodson Nguni, claims Moyo in cahoots with
officials from his ministry, diverted $430 000 from the fund to finance
personal activities.
Ngadziore, who was allegedly the convener of the unsanctioned meeting and
alleged attempted citizen arrest, addressed the gathering without
notifying the police.
Ngadziore was later arrested on November 2 last year at CID Law and Order.
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