Maziwisa, Pambuka freed on $300 bail Chombo’s bail conditions relaxed
HIGHFIELD National Assembly representative Cde Psychology Maziwisa and former ZBC News anchor Oscar Pambuka appeared in court yesterday accused of duping the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) of over $12 000 after claiming to have done publicity work.
A Harare court heard that the publicity work Maziwisa and Pambuka claimed to have done during a Zim-Asset conference in February 2016 was in fact carried out by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).
The pair appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Rumbidzai Mugwagwa facing two counts of fraud.
They were remanded to January 30 on $300 bail each.
As part of their bail conditions, Maziwisa and Pambuka were ordered to surrender their passports, reside at their respective addresses and not to interfere with State witnesses.
The complainant is ZPC represented by its managing director, Mr Noah Gwariro.
The court heard that Maziwisa FORMER Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo is no longer expected to report to the police on weekends following a successful application for relaxation of his bail conditions.
Chombo, who is facing a litany of corruption charges, is now expected to report once a day between Monday and Friday instead of three times daily.
Chombo, who is now a full time farmer, is on $5 000 bail and was reporting three times a day at Marlborough Police Station in Harare between 6am and 10am, 12pm-2pm and 4pm-6pm.
Through his defence council, Professor Lovemore Madhuku,
is the director of Fruitful Communications, while Pambuka is the media executive.
Prosecuting, Ms Linda Gadzikwa alleged sometime in 2016 Maziwisa and Pambuka brought a letter to Chombo asked the court for him to report once a day to allow him to attend to his farm.
Part of Chombo’s stringent bail conditions include surrendering his travel documents and title deeds to his Mount Pleasant house and not to interfere with State witnesses.
He was also prohibited from visiting the Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Ministry offices and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) until the matter was finalised.
Chombo is facing charges of violating Section 4(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Chapter 9:16) by allegedly conniving with Psychology Chiwanga, Rejoice Pazvakavambwa, Iben
the Zimbabwe Power Company from former Minister of Energy and Power Development, Mr Samuel Undenge.
The letter directed the Zimbabwe Power Company to work with Fransisco, James Chiyangwa, Theresa Chenjerayi, Elias Choto and Lazarus Chimba to forge documents used to transfer a Glen Lorne property from Harare City Council to Alois Chimeri.
Chombo is also accused of allocating residential stands to illegal settlers at Whitecliff Farm in Harare before demanding and receiving a bribe of a 3 712 square metre stand from the landowner to remove the settlers.
The land owner, Eddies Pfugari Property Developers (Pvt) Ltd, lost property worth $200 million in the process.
Harare magistrate Ms Josephine Sande presided over the case.
Fruitful Communications at intervals of six months.
It is alleged that in January 2016, the accused entered into a verbal agreement with ZPC to do its publicity work.
During the agreement, ZPC was represented by Mr Gwariro and public relations executive, Ms Fadzai Chisveto.
It is alleged that on February 12, Fruitful Communications hosted a Zim-Asset conference at Meikles Hotel where Undenge was the guest of honour.
ZBC covered the event, but on March 8, Maziwisa and Pambuka, with an intention to defraud the company, brought an invoice of $12 650 to ZPC.
They allegedly claimed that they had done the Zim-Asset media campaign and press conference on power projects in Kariba, Hwange and Batoka.
They also claimed to have done news bulletins at Power FM, Radio Zimbabwe and National FM and a “Powertalk” programme on Power FM.
The pair also alleged they had done Zim-Asset conference radio interviews on National FM and another Powertalk session on energy and infrastructural development.
Acting on the misrepresentation, ZPC paid the money.