Bail relief for Mangoma, Chifamba

FORMER Energy and Power Development Minister Elton Mangoma, ex-Zesa chief executive Joshua Chifamba and Zesa Enterprises managing director Tererai Mutasa last week successfully applied for relaxation of their bail conditions.

The trio faces criminal abuse of office charges. They appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Vongai Muchuchuti Guwuriro, who relaxed their reporting conditions to the police from twice a week to once a fortnight.

Through his lawyer Mr Admire Rubaya, Chifamba made a separate application for temporary release of his passport.

Mr Rubaya said Chifamba intended to travel to South Africa to seek medical treatment.

“Chifamba was ordered to surrender his passport in January and report once every week to the police, and has been religiously coming to court,” he said.

“He has been attended to by a doctor at the Trauma Centre and was advised that there is need for him to be attended (to) in South Africa. The accused has no plans to abscond court and is prepared to surrender title deeds to his house.

“It is in the interest of justice and accused that the passport be released and will be returned by the 8th of March so that he can be able to travel.”

The court will later make a ruling on the matter.