Chawatama bail ruling today
HARARE City Council director of works, Zvenyika Isaiah Chawatama, yesterday appeared in court facing fresh allegations of appointing himself as acting town clerk when his term in that capacity had expired within three days.
Chawatama appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje charged with fraud and criminal abuse of office as a public officer.
He was not asked to plead to the charges and is expected back in court today for his bail ruling.
Allegations against Chawatama are that he was appointed acting town clerk between December 9 and December 11 last year since Hosiah Chisango had been suspended on corruption-related charges.
After the expiry of the three days, Chawatama is alleged to have went on to write documents and signing them, purporting to be the acting town clerk.
He allegedly wrote letters on January 18 and January 20 in which he advised city employees to disregard directives given by Chisango, who returned to Town House.
“By writing the letter in question where he identifies himself as the acting town clerk, the accused made a misrepresentation intending to deceive another person (recipients of the letter) or realising that there was a real risk or possibility of deceiving another person(s) and intending to cause that other person to act upon that misrepresentation to their prejudice or realising that there was a real risk or possibility that another person(s) may act upon that misrepresentation to their prejudice,” read the court papers.
“Alternately, the accused person by authoring the letter(s) in question made and used a document which contained a false statement that he was the acting town clerk, knowing that the document contained a false statement and intending by the use of the document (letter) to deceive his principals or agents.”
The court heard that it was the duty of the mayor or acting mayor to appoint the town clerk, and by writing such letters, Chawatama regarded himself as the acting town clerk, deceiving other people who acted on his instructions.