Gudyanga’s case postponed

Source: Gudyanga’s case postponed | The Herald 05 JUN, 2019

Francis Gudyanga

Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
The trial of former Secretary for Mines and Mining Development Francis Gudyanga, accused of defrauding the Mineral Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) of US$1 629 500, failed to commence on Monday after it emerged that his docket was still being held at the Special Anti-Corruption Unit.

The court also heard that the matter was yet to be allocated a prosecutor from the special unit.
Gudyanga appeared before regional magistrate Mr Hoseah Mujaya, who postponed the matter to June 17.
Mr Michael Reza, who represented the prosecution, said he was only there for purposes of postponement of the matter, saying he was not seized with the case.

Mr Mujaya expressed displeasure in the manner in which the State was handling the case adding that the defence lawyer, Mr Norman Mugiya, was now doing the State’s job of making applications for further postponement of the matter.

Mr Mujaya told the prosecution not to turn a trial court into a remand court before ordering the State to put its house in order.
It is alleged that during the period extending from September 2014 to December 2015, Gudyanga, acting as the permanent secretary of Mines and Mining Development, ordered MMCZ to pay US$1 629 500 to Glammer Private Limited.

Gudyanga allegedly told MMCZ to pay Glammer through Pedstock Investments, as Glammer was a foreign company.
He also allegedly lied that the money was to be accounted for as part of the dividends to the stakeholder, which was the Government of Zimbabwe.

MMCZ released the money to Pedstock Investments.
It was later discovered that the money had nothing to do with MMCZ and it was not being paid to the Government of Zimbabwe, but instead was used in a fraudulent arrangement Gudyanga had made.

Dividends are supposed to be paid to the permanent secretary, who then issues a receipt of acknowledgement.
After this, the permanent secretary is then supposed to pay the Ministry of Finance.
Due to the alleged fraud, Gudyanga caused MMCZ to lose US$1 629 500.

Gudyanga is also facing corruption charges alongside former Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa.