Registrar General officials denied bail

Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa on Wednesday denied bail to officials from the Registrar General's Department, who are accused of criminal abuse of office after allegedly facilitating the fraudulent processing of passports for Cameroonian nationals.

In her ruling, Magistrate Gofa stated that the State has a strong case against the accused, including CCTV footage that implicates them in escorting the Cameroonians through the passport office. Gofa cited a high risk that the accused might attempt to flee the country through Zimbabwe's porous borders if granted bail.

The magistrate also highlighted the severity of the charges, pointing out that the accused are facing serious allegations of collusion, particularly as they failed to properly verify the documents of the foreign nationals involved.

Defense lawyers had argued that the CCTV footage lacked sound, but Gofa dismissed this, stating that the visuals alone were sufficient to provide prima facie evidence, which favored the State's case.

The case stems from an incident on September 17 when the Registrar General's Department allegedly processed passports for Cameroonians who were en route to South Africa. The foreign nationals were later arrested at Beitbridge border post by Zimbabwean immigration officers after failing to answer questions in vernacular Shona, raising suspicions.

Upon interrogation, the Cameroonians implicated officials from the Registrar General's Office, leading to the arrests.

The case was postponed to October 16 for routine remand as investigations continue. The State was represented by Lancelot Mutsokoti.