FALSE START TO FORMER DEPUTY MINISTER TRIAL
THERE was another false start to former Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development Deputy Minister, Douglas Karoro, as the State hadn’t furnished his defence with all the papers.
Karoro appeared together with his alleged accomplice Lovejoy Ngowe, and they were both remanded to November 30, for trial commencement.
The court heard that on March 7, Ngowe, an assistant depot manager of the Mushumbi Pools Grain Marketing Board, received 30 050 tonnes of seed maize for the Mbire constituency.
Karoro is the Mbire constituency legislator. It is the State’s case that between March 10 and 25, Karoro and Ngowe connived to steal the seed maize.
Karoro allegedly collected the same maize seed from Ngowe on various occasions and was issued with goods dispatched voucher numbers misrepresenting to the clerk and security guards that they were taking the maize seed to the needy in the wards.
According to investigations, the two didn’t distribute the seed.
On June 1, 10 2kgs Seedco SC301 and 10 5kgs Seedco SC513 maize seed bags were recovered from Ngowe’s office.
According to the State, the GMB suffered actual prejudice of US$18 030.