By Beatific Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI-Former Chiredzi Town Council Chairperson and Zanu PF Chiredzi Central Constituency 2023 candidate, Francis Moyo who was arrested early this month by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) over allegations of criminal abuse of office as a public Officer, was remanded to April 4, 2024, for trial.
Moyo is currently on US$500 bail after the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) arrested him earlier this month over allegations of Criminal Abuse of Duty under the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 174.
As part of his bail conditions, Moyo is supposed to report every Monday at Chiredzi’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), is not supposed to interfere with state witnesses, must continue staying at 638 Woodpecker Road and will appear at the Regional Court on April 4, 2024, for trial.
According to the court papers, circumstances are that on May 14, 2013, a developer, Inotrade Investments, represented by Trinity Mutsetse applied for commonage stands in Chiredzi Township from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, which he was later offered.
It is further alleged that the accused person using his position as the Chairperson of Chiredzi Town Council as well as Chairperson of the Justin Chauke Housing Cooperative hatched a plan and corruptly benefitted from the 50 commonage stands reserved for the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
The court heard that on December 17, 2014, Inotrade Investments and Justin Chauke Housing Cooperative entered into a partnership agreement to develop and construct 50 housing stands. Investigations revealed that Inotrade Investments later handed over the project to Justin Chauke Housing Cooperative with the accused person being the chairperson of the Justin Chauke Housing Cooperative and also the chairperson of Chiredzi Town Council during that period.
Following the launch of an investigation on Chiredzi Town Council by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works from March 2016 to April 2016 which is best known as the ‘Nhamo Report’, it was established that no land intrinsic value was paid to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works for the 50 residential stands.
It is alleged that the accused persons’ actions led to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works suffering a prejudice of US$60 000 being the land intrinsic value that was payable.
Two lawyers, Charles Ndlovu of Hwacha and Ndlovu Associates and Emmanuel Chibudu of the Manyika Law Chambers are representing Moyo.
Ronald Kwangwari is standing for the state.
