EMA officials in court for bribery 

Source: EMA officials in court for bribery – NewsDay Zimbabwe May 10, 2019

By Simbarashe Sithole

Two Environmental Management Agency (EMA) officials from Mashonaland Central province were arraigned before Bindura magistrates’ courts on Monday for allegedly soliciting for bribes from a mine manager in Shamva.

Shephard Maraga (39) and Tsaurai Gwarinda (44) pleaded not guilty before magistrate Maria Musika, who granted them $100 bail each and remanded them to May 23.

The State alleges that on March 5, the accused connived and hatched a plan to solicit for bribe money from miners in Bindura and Shamva districts. The duo allegedly approached Edmore Mazembe, who is the mine manager at Lion of Judah mining syndicate, Richlands farm in Shamva.

They asked Mazembe for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate from Mazembe, which he failed to produce.

The accused allegedly solicited for ZWL$600 for them not to issue the company with a ticket of $5 000 for operating without an EIA certificate.

They were then given ZWL$400 leaving a balance of $200.

On March 20, Chief Superintendent Murenje authorised a trap to be set up to net the pair. Trap money in the form of $160 bond in $5 denominations was photocopied.

On the same date and at about 12pm, Maraga was arrested at Bindura-Harare road after he received the trap money.

Maranga then implicated his co-accused Gwarinda, who was subsequently arrested at Musonza service station along Bindura–Trojan Road.

Tariro Janhi represented the State.