Examiner in US$500k criminal abuse of office scandal

Absolom Magwere, a principal examiner in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, appeared before Harare regional magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa on charges of criminal abuse of office involving US$500,000. The complainant, Paddington Chituwu, alleged that Magwere, whose responsibilities included supervising examiners and overseeing the registration of property documents, acted improperly in a property transfer case.

The case dates back to June 2009 when Chamunorwa Matsika, a co-director of Monoliser Investments (Pvt) Ltd, borrowed US$30,000 from Frank Buyanga of Hamilton Property Ltd, using property in Hurungwe as collateral. Attempts to repay the debt revealed irregularities, including the unauthorized transfer of title deeds to Hamilton Property Ltd. Investigations uncovered that Magwere facilitated this transfer without required documents such as a capital gains tax certificate and clearances from relevant authorities.

Magwere was granted US$100 bail and instructed to return to court on September 3 for further proceedings pending the completion of investigations. The case highlights alleged collusion involving legal and financial professionals to unlawfully benefit a third party, prompting scrutiny from both legal authorities and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.