News / National
CCC councillors granted bail
09 Nov 2024 at 17:11hrs | Views
Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) councillors Chipo Mlotswa and Busani Dube have been granted bail in the sum of US$100 each after being arrested on fraud charges. The two councillors, who spent Thursday night in police custody at Chinhoyi Central Police Station, are facing accusations of misusing a facility meant to allocate residential stands to councillors.
The allegations, which stem from their tenure as councillors, claim that Mlotswa and Dube abused the residential stand allocation system by misrepresenting information, leading to the allocation of multiple stands to each of them. The State contends that Dube fraudulently received US$7,272, while Mlotswa allegedly defrauded the council of US$6,908.28.
The charges are centered on accusations that the councillors were awarded residential stands during different terms, a privilege intended for elected officials. According to the State's case, this misrepresentation enabled them to obtain properties they were not entitled to, defrauding the local council in the process.
Magistrate Nyasha Marufu granted bail to Mlotswa and Dube on the condition that they reside at the addresses they provided to the court and surrender their passports to the Chinhoyi clerk of court.
The two councillors were represented by Kudzi Choga in court, while Rutendo Ngazimbi appeared on behalf of the prosecution. The case continues to unfold as both Mlotswa and Dube deny the allegations.
The bail decision has drawn attention to issues surrounding transparency and accountability within local government structures, especially regarding the allocation of public resources.
The allegations, which stem from their tenure as councillors, claim that Mlotswa and Dube abused the residential stand allocation system by misrepresenting information, leading to the allocation of multiple stands to each of them. The State contends that Dube fraudulently received US$7,272, while Mlotswa allegedly defrauded the council of US$6,908.28.
The charges are centered on accusations that the councillors were awarded residential stands during different terms, a privilege intended for elected officials. According to the State's case, this misrepresentation enabled them to obtain properties they were not entitled to, defrauding the local council in the process.
The two councillors were represented by Kudzi Choga in court, while Rutendo Ngazimbi appeared on behalf of the prosecution. The case continues to unfold as both Mlotswa and Dube deny the allegations.
The bail decision has drawn attention to issues surrounding transparency and accountability within local government structures, especially regarding the allocation of public resources.
Source - newsday
