Beatific Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI – Former Chiredzi Town Council Chairperson and Zanu PF Chiredzi ‘Godfather’ Francis Moyo was recently arraigned before the courts by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) together with his alleged business partner, Trinity Mutsetse of Innotrade Investment over allegations of criminal abuse of office as a public officer.
Moyo had to spend a night at Chiredzi Prison and was later freed on US$500 bail after appearing before regional Magistrate Judith Zuyu.
According to court papers, circumstances are that on the 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 was offered.
It is alleged that Moyo, using his position as the council 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 the December 17, 2014, Inotrade Investments and Justin Chauke Housing Cooperative entered into a partnership agreement to develop and construct 50 housing stands and investigations revealed that Inotrade Investments later handed over the project to Justin Chauke Housing Cooperative with the accused person being the chairman of the Justin Chauke Housing Cooperative and also the chairman 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, a report named the ‘Nhamo Report’, 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 person’s 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.
Moyo, who is being represented by two Lawyers, Charles Ndlovu of Hwacha and Ndlovu Associates and Emmanuel Chibudu of Manyika Law chambers is supposed to report every Monday at Chiredzi Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and is not supposed to interfere with state witnesses and continue staying at 638 Woodpecker Road as part of his bail conditions.
He is expected back in Court on the 8th of March 2024 for continuation of trial.
Ronald Kwangware prosecuted.
