News / National
Fraud-accused Deputy Minister granted bail
23 May 2022 at 19:37hrs | Views
AGRICULTURE deputy minister, Douglas Karoro has been granted ZW$50,000 bail and warned not to interfere with State witnesses.
In giving his ruling, Harare Magistrate Stanford Mambanje said the State failed to submit enough evidence that can support his continued detention.
He also added that the investigating officer and his team had over 48 hours to confirm the addresses of the accused person but failed, which is negligence on their part.
The deputy minister will be back in court on June 14 2022.
Karoro was arrested Friday on allegations of grabbing 700 bags of fertiliser, US$18,000 worth of maize seed and 5,000 vegetable seed kits from Presidential inputs schemes and selling them.
The State was opposing bail on the basis that they are yet to record other witness statements he might interfere with the process.
Investigating officer Webster Mapepeta also told the court that two of the witnesses received numerous calls from private numbers threatening them not to testify against the accused.
He added that they are yet to confirm the residential addresses of the trio and investigations are still underway.
Defence lawyer Admire Rubaya however, argued that there was no evidence linking Karoro to those calls and that he cannot interfere with witnesses whom does not know.
"It is not my clients' problem that the State is failing to secure its boarders and the fact that my clients might use other means to leave the country if granted bail does not arise because the State should make sure that they have corrupt free officers at its boarders," he added.
In giving his ruling, Harare Magistrate Stanford Mambanje said the State failed to submit enough evidence that can support his continued detention.
He also added that the investigating officer and his team had over 48 hours to confirm the addresses of the accused person but failed, which is negligence on their part.
The deputy minister will be back in court on June 14 2022.
Karoro was arrested Friday on allegations of grabbing 700 bags of fertiliser, US$18,000 worth of maize seed and 5,000 vegetable seed kits from Presidential inputs schemes and selling them.
Investigating officer Webster Mapepeta also told the court that two of the witnesses received numerous calls from private numbers threatening them not to testify against the accused.
He added that they are yet to confirm the residential addresses of the trio and investigations are still underway.
Defence lawyer Admire Rubaya however, argued that there was no evidence linking Karoro to those calls and that he cannot interfere with witnesses whom does not know.
"It is not my clients' problem that the State is failing to secure its boarders and the fact that my clients might use other means to leave the country if granted bail does not arise because the State should make sure that they have corrupt free officers at its boarders," he added.
Source - NewZimbabwe
