News / National
Zanu-PF official faces land fraud charges
26 Jan 2012 at 06:34hrs | Views
ZANU-PF politician Justin Zvandasara, who is facing fraud charges involving US$4 million in a land deal, was yesterday issued with a warrant of arrest for breaching bail conditions. Zvandasara - who is currently on US$100 bail - was ordered to surrender his passport, report once every week to CID Fraud, continue living at his given address and not interfere with witnesses.
However, Zvandasara did not report at CID Fraud, prompting magistrate Ms Anita Tshuma to issue the warrant of arrest.
Zvandasara's accomplice Blessing Chauruka has since appeared in court.
The trial date was set for January 30.
The pair are accused of allegedly prejudicing Zanu-PF Central Committee member Cde Nyasha Chikwinya and another people of over US$4 million.
According to State papers, Zvandasara is the president of an unregistered Harare North Housing Co-operative Union. Cde Chikwinya is the director of Pilgrims Rest Properties, which specialises in property development.
Prosecutor Mr David Magwegwe alleges that during at the height of the land redistribution programme, Cde Chikwinya was allocated Pilgrims Rest Farm measuring 150 hectares. Government, however, re-demarcated the land into two and the other half was allocated to Mama Mafuyana Housing Co-operative. Alternative land for Cde Chikwinya's company was also identified at Hatcliffe North Phase Two.
Cde Chikwinya obtained a development permit number SL818 from the Department of Physical Planning. On June 21 last year, Cde Chikwinya and the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development signed a memorandum of agreement allocating the land and transferring administration into her name.
She started servicing the land subdividing it into low, medium and high-density stands under layout plan number HOE27. Dr Sasha Jogi prepared the layout, allocated stands and sold them to clients.
Zvandasara, who knew about the project, misrepresented to unsuspecting homeseekers that he had lawfully acquired the same piece of land. He was acting in connivance with other accomplices still at large. He sold 496 stands to home seekers who immediately occupied the land.
In the second count, the complainant is Mr Jonathan Gapare, chairman of Alpha Developers - a company which is also in the business of developing properties.
However, Zvandasara did not report at CID Fraud, prompting magistrate Ms Anita Tshuma to issue the warrant of arrest.
Zvandasara's accomplice Blessing Chauruka has since appeared in court.
The trial date was set for January 30.
The pair are accused of allegedly prejudicing Zanu-PF Central Committee member Cde Nyasha Chikwinya and another people of over US$4 million.
Prosecutor Mr David Magwegwe alleges that during at the height of the land redistribution programme, Cde Chikwinya was allocated Pilgrims Rest Farm measuring 150 hectares. Government, however, re-demarcated the land into two and the other half was allocated to Mama Mafuyana Housing Co-operative. Alternative land for Cde Chikwinya's company was also identified at Hatcliffe North Phase Two.
Cde Chikwinya obtained a development permit number SL818 from the Department of Physical Planning. On June 21 last year, Cde Chikwinya and the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development signed a memorandum of agreement allocating the land and transferring administration into her name.
She started servicing the land subdividing it into low, medium and high-density stands under layout plan number HOE27. Dr Sasha Jogi prepared the layout, allocated stands and sold them to clients.
Zvandasara, who knew about the project, misrepresented to unsuspecting homeseekers that he had lawfully acquired the same piece of land. He was acting in connivance with other accomplices still at large. He sold 496 stands to home seekers who immediately occupied the land.
In the second count, the complainant is Mr Jonathan Gapare, chairman of Alpha Developers - a company which is also in the business of developing properties.
Source - TH
