By TellZim Reporter
CHIREDZI – The Town Secretary for Chiredzi Council, Engineer Wesley Kauma has been dragged to court by the Zimbabwe Ant-Corruption Commission (ZACC) for fraud and abuse of office.
The court granted Kauma a US$500 bail and is set to appear in court on July 31, this year.
According to a statement released by the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), Kauma appeared before Chiredzi Magistrate’s court facing fraud and abuse of office charges.
It is the state’s case that sometime in 2013, Chiredzi Town Council offered the accused person, who then was council Engineer, a commercial stand measuring 2195 square meters in the New Central Business District (CBD).
The NPAZ further noted that sometime in 2023, the town council resolved that the stand that had been sold to the accused person, but had not been developed, be handed over to the Chiredzi Small to Medium Enterprises Chamber following their application for a commercial stand. The council resolved that the accused person was to be given another stand in Melbourne Park.
When Chiredzi Small and Medium Enterprises Chamber began the construction of a shopping mall the accused person allegedly approached them and ordered them to stop any further developments, claiming that he owned the stand.
This prompted investigations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) which revealed that the accused person demanded payment from the Chiredzi Small and Medium Enterprises Chamber for it to continue with the developments on the stand.
The Chamber gave in to the accused person’s demands and agreed to hand over five shops to the accused person once the project was complete. The five shops were said to be valued at US$75 000.00.
Eng Kauma is set to appear in court for the commencement of trial.
However, Chiredzi Town Council Chairperson, Jameson Charumbira said as council they were not aware that their employee was arrested.
“We haven’t received any formal communication that our employee was arrested,” said Charumbira.
Meanwhile, deputy director of planning and public works Consider Kubiku is currently the Acting Town Secretary following a resolution by special full council meeting held on July 3.
