Police chief Makodza acquitted

POLICE chief Commissioner Erasmus Makodza was yesterday acquitted of charges of concealing a transaction from a principal.

The court ruled that he didn’t take part in the joint venture agreement that was entered between the police and his former girlfriend, Maonei Chapfudza.

The agreement was for Chapfudza to undertake farming activities at a police farm in Mashonaland East. Makodza was in charge of the province at the time.

He was acquitted after a full trial by regional magistrate, Noel Mupeyiwa.

“Accused did not touch the agreement and not a single witness testified that he perused the document in question and it cannot be concluded that he perused the document,” the magistrate said in his judgment. “The State tried to say he perused the document but did not prove that the accused perused the document.

“It is not clear that there is proof that he perused and no credible evidence was led.

“Accused consciously avoided and did not give anyone orders to sign because all of them said they did not interfere with him, they did not say they were told by the accused to sign and this clearly is not participating in a transaction.”

The magistrate added: “Accused was not present during all the stages and is not the one who accompanied Maonei to the legal department.

“He was not present and should not bear the burden of inconsistencies in the State case by the State witnesses, he had no duty to account for their testimonies.

“They all said he never interfered with them and made their independent decisions without any pressure from the accused.

“The agreement was not signed by the accused, evidence does not show him participating on any stage, the State failed to prove its case,” he said.

Makodza denied signing the document binding Chapfudza and the ZRP.