News / Press Release
'No one scrambled for bail money' - MDC
30 Oct 2014 at 14:52hrs | Views
We make reference to the Southern Eye story of Wednesday, 30 October 2014 titled, 'MDC scrambles for bail money'.
We would like to put it on record that no one in the MDC has scrambled to retrieve the $2 000 bail money which was paid for Charles Thomas who faced treason charges by MDC President, Prof Welshman Ncube in 2011.
The true and correct version of events is as follows; When Charles Thomas was granted bail and encountered difficulties in paying it, Prof Welshman Ncube was approached to provide assistance.
Prof Ncube personally sent the full $2000 to the MDC Bulawayo Regional office through the banking system with instructions that the office should pay the bail money. The office staff gave the money to Edwin Ndlovu who was then Bulawayo Provincial Spokesperson to go and pay the money.
Ndlovu apparently went and paid under his name and kept the receipt, contrary to party practice that the receipt be under the party name and be filed at the party offices.
When Thomas was acquitted, Ndlovu went and collected the money. Prof Ncube was alerted to this by Thomas' lawyers who were aware that the bail money had come from him. He instructed the Regional office to pursue the matter with Ndlovu. The office had no joy with Ndlovu who kept telling them that he was personally in touch with the MDC President.
Prof Ncube on being advised that Ndlovu was alleging to have been in contact with him took up the matter with Ndlovu who claimed that he had topped up the bail money with his own $80 after that amount had been deducted as bank charges. Ndlovu expressed some difficulty in returning the $1920 which he admitted did not belong to him and asked for time to do so.
We would like to put it on record that no one in the MDC has scrambled to retrieve the $2 000 bail money which was paid for Charles Thomas who faced treason charges by MDC President, Prof Welshman Ncube in 2011.
The true and correct version of events is as follows; When Charles Thomas was granted bail and encountered difficulties in paying it, Prof Welshman Ncube was approached to provide assistance.
Prof Ncube personally sent the full $2000 to the MDC Bulawayo Regional office through the banking system with instructions that the office should pay the bail money. The office staff gave the money to Edwin Ndlovu who was then Bulawayo Provincial Spokesperson to go and pay the money.
Ndlovu apparently went and paid under his name and kept the receipt, contrary to party practice that the receipt be under the party name and be filed at the party offices.
When Thomas was acquitted, Ndlovu went and collected the money. Prof Ncube was alerted to this by Thomas' lawyers who were aware that the bail money had come from him. He instructed the Regional office to pursue the matter with Ndlovu. The office had no joy with Ndlovu who kept telling them that he was personally in touch with the MDC President.
Prof Ncube on being advised that Ndlovu was alleging to have been in contact with him took up the matter with Ndlovu who claimed that he had topped up the bail money with his own $80 after that amount had been deducted as bank charges. Ndlovu expressed some difficulty in returning the $1920 which he admitted did not belong to him and asked for time to do so.
Source - Nhlanhla Dube National MDC Spokesperson
