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Fired Tourism Minister demands trial date
10 Aug 2019 at 08:07hrs | Views
Fired Tourism Minister demands trial date
FIRED Environment, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira yesterday challenged the State to furnish her with a trial date on three of the seven counts of corruption she is facing.
Mupfumira is facing seven counts of criminal abuse of office involving US$95 million.
Speaking through her lawyer Mr Charles Chinyama during her routine remand, Mupfumira demanded that she be given a trial date for the three counts.
Mupfumira said this following reports that police have completed investigations into three cases.
"We are ready to proceed wih trial in respect of the three counts," said Mr Chinyama.
The State led by Mr Michael Reza said it will only furnish Mupfumira with a trial date after investigations into all seven counts have been completed.
"The State will not be stampeded into giving a trial date when investigations are still ongoing," said Mr Reza.
Mr Reza also said the State will not give Mupfumira a trial date even on August 23 when she is expected to return to court for a routine remand.
Harare magistrate Mrs Learnmore Mapiye presided over the matter. Mupfumira is yet to know her fate after a High Court judge reserved judgment in her bail application.
The State opposed her bail application alleging that she was a flight risk considering that she owns mansions in Dubai, South Africa and United Kingdom.
Mupfumira is alleged to have directed NSSA to deposit money into her CBZ personal account, leaving room that she could also have externalised some of the money. It also alleged that Mupfumira filed medical reports with the State raising fears that once granted bail, she would abscond trial.
The State called the investigation officer into the matter, who is attached to ZACC, Sergeant Trust Chinembiri, who also revealed that they needed about three months to dig further into the case.
Sergeant Chinembiri also revealed that Mupfumira had planned to flee into South Africa, where she is believed to own a mansion in the leafy suburb of Sandton, on July 24 with the aid of her Chinese friends to avoid arrest.
He also said Mupfumira had two passports with a 10-year United Kingdom visa.
Mupfumira, through her lawyer Advocate Lewis Uriri, who is acting on lawyer Charles Chinyama's instruction, said one of the passports was for her official duty as a Cabinet minister.
FIRED Environment, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira yesterday challenged the State to furnish her with a trial date on three of the seven counts of corruption she is facing.
Mupfumira is facing seven counts of criminal abuse of office involving US$95 million.
Speaking through her lawyer Mr Charles Chinyama during her routine remand, Mupfumira demanded that she be given a trial date for the three counts.
Mupfumira said this following reports that police have completed investigations into three cases.
"We are ready to proceed wih trial in respect of the three counts," said Mr Chinyama.
The State led by Mr Michael Reza said it will only furnish Mupfumira with a trial date after investigations into all seven counts have been completed.
"The State will not be stampeded into giving a trial date when investigations are still ongoing," said Mr Reza.
Harare magistrate Mrs Learnmore Mapiye presided over the matter. Mupfumira is yet to know her fate after a High Court judge reserved judgment in her bail application.
The State opposed her bail application alleging that she was a flight risk considering that she owns mansions in Dubai, South Africa and United Kingdom.
Mupfumira is alleged to have directed NSSA to deposit money into her CBZ personal account, leaving room that she could also have externalised some of the money. It also alleged that Mupfumira filed medical reports with the State raising fears that once granted bail, she would abscond trial.
The State called the investigation officer into the matter, who is attached to ZACC, Sergeant Trust Chinembiri, who also revealed that they needed about three months to dig further into the case.
Sergeant Chinembiri also revealed that Mupfumira had planned to flee into South Africa, where she is believed to own a mansion in the leafy suburb of Sandton, on July 24 with the aid of her Chinese friends to avoid arrest.
He also said Mupfumira had two passports with a 10-year United Kingdom visa.
Mupfumira, through her lawyer Advocate Lewis Uriri, who is acting on lawyer Charles Chinyama's instruction, said one of the passports was for her official duty as a Cabinet minister.
Source - Chronicle
