News / National
MDC-T spokespersons trial fails to kick off, Mwonzora a free man
28 Sep 2011 at 09:16hrs | Views
Nyanga North MP and MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora walked out of Harare Magistrates' Courts a free man on Monday after regional magistrate Simon Rogers Kachambwa refused to further remand him for a 2005 fraud charge he was facing.
This was after Mwonzora's trial failed to kick off because key State witness, Elizabeth Mary Adams, defaulted. Adams had accused Mwonzora, who is also the co-chair of the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee, of defrauding her of a plot then valued at Z$350 million.
Prosecutor Obi Mabahwana sought to have the matter postponed to another date after applying for a warrant of arrest against his witness, but Mwonzora's lawyer, Dumisani Kufaruwenga, opposed the postponement. Kufaruwenga argued there was no guarantee Adams would be located and accused the State of trying to force the witness to testify against the Legislature even though she had already submitted a withdrawal affidavit.
Meanwhile, former Central Intelligence Organisation deputy director-general Lovemore Mukandi, facing fraud charges, will have to spend yet another night in remand prison after Harare magistrate Don Ndirowei postponed ruling for his bail application to Wednesday.
Mukandi, who had an outstanding 11-year-old warrant of arrest issued against him after he fled to Canada in 2001, was extradited and immediately arrested on arrival last Friday.
On Monday, Mukandi's lawyer Nickel Mushangwe applied for annulment of warrant of arrest, arguing it had been unprocedurally issued. He is being accused of defrauding the State of millions of dollars in a scam involving construction of five CIO safe houses in Harare's plush Glen Lorne suburb.
Mukandi, who was dismissed from the CIO in 1999, fled at a time he was facing allegations of defrauding the CIO in 1998.
In October 2001, he fled the country and since then, the Zimbabwean government had been battling to secure his extradition amid reports Harare had no extradition treaty with Canada where the ex-CIO boss was holed up.
This was after Mwonzora's trial failed to kick off because key State witness, Elizabeth Mary Adams, defaulted. Adams had accused Mwonzora, who is also the co-chair of the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee, of defrauding her of a plot then valued at Z$350 million.
Prosecutor Obi Mabahwana sought to have the matter postponed to another date after applying for a warrant of arrest against his witness, but Mwonzora's lawyer, Dumisani Kufaruwenga, opposed the postponement. Kufaruwenga argued there was no guarantee Adams would be located and accused the State of trying to force the witness to testify against the Legislature even though she had already submitted a withdrawal affidavit.
Meanwhile, former Central Intelligence Organisation deputy director-general Lovemore Mukandi, facing fraud charges, will have to spend yet another night in remand prison after Harare magistrate Don Ndirowei postponed ruling for his bail application to Wednesday.
Mukandi, who had an outstanding 11-year-old warrant of arrest issued against him after he fled to Canada in 2001, was extradited and immediately arrested on arrival last Friday.
On Monday, Mukandi's lawyer Nickel Mushangwe applied for annulment of warrant of arrest, arguing it had been unprocedurally issued. He is being accused of defrauding the State of millions of dollars in a scam involving construction of five CIO safe houses in Harare's plush Glen Lorne suburb.
Mukandi, who was dismissed from the CIO in 1999, fled at a time he was facing allegations of defrauding the CIO in 1998.
In October 2001, he fled the country and since then, the Zimbabwean government had been battling to secure his extradition amid reports Harare had no extradition treaty with Canada where the ex-CIO boss was holed up.
Source - newsday
