News / National
Charges dropped for some ZMDC officials
14 Feb 2011 at 07:22hrs | Views
Zimbabwe has withdrawn charges against three of five directors from the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) that were accused of fraudulently facilitating the acquisition of diamonds in Zimbabwe, The Sunday Times reported.
The state will proceed with altered charges against the remaining two, Lovemore Kurotwi and Dominic Mubaiwa, alleging that they led officials to believe that they had the resources to operate a diamond concession at the Marange fields via a $2 billion investment by South Africa-based company BSGR. Charges against ZMDC chairperson Gloria Mawarire, board member Mark Tsomondo and administrator Tichaona Muhonde were dropped.
The defense challenged the legitimacy of the move noting that it was strange and illegal for the state to change the charges while the court was still in session.
The incident raised speculation that the state likely panicked that their case against the accused was weak and decided to divide the suspects in an effort to rescue the high profile case.
"The case against the directors was clearly going to expose the minister and the current ZMDC board for double standards because it was a case of victimization from the onset," a legal expert close to the case told the Sunday Times. "The whole government was aware of the deal, including the president himself and this was going to come out in court and embarrass them."
The three former accused will now appear as state witnesses and testify against Kurotwi and Mubaiwa, the report stated.
The state will proceed with altered charges against the remaining two, Lovemore Kurotwi and Dominic Mubaiwa, alleging that they led officials to believe that they had the resources to operate a diamond concession at the Marange fields via a $2 billion investment by South Africa-based company BSGR. Charges against ZMDC chairperson Gloria Mawarire, board member Mark Tsomondo and administrator Tichaona Muhonde were dropped.
The defense challenged the legitimacy of the move noting that it was strange and illegal for the state to change the charges while the court was still in session.
The incident raised speculation that the state likely panicked that their case against the accused was weak and decided to divide the suspects in an effort to rescue the high profile case.
"The case against the directors was clearly going to expose the minister and the current ZMDC board for double standards because it was a case of victimization from the onset," a legal expert close to the case told the Sunday Times. "The whole government was aware of the deal, including the president himself and this was going to come out in court and embarrass them."
The three former accused will now appear as state witnesses and testify against Kurotwi and Mubaiwa, the report stated.
Source - Byo24News
