NewsDay (Zimbabwe)

High Court frees land developer

- BY DESMOND CHINGARAND­E Follow Desmond on Twitter @DChingaran­de1

THE High Court has released land developer Felix Munyaradzi from remand in a case in which he was accused of defeating the course of justice.

The complainan­t in the matter was police Commission­er Erasmus Makodza.

Munyaradzi had challenged his placement on remand after being accused of interferin­g with witnesses in the case Makodza had reported him for fraud.

Magistrate Von gaiMuchuch­utiGuv ur ir oh ad dismissed the applicatio­n challengin­g placement on remand, forcing Mun ya rad zit os eek a review of her ruling.

But Justice David Mangota ordered that Muchuchuti-Guvuriro’s ruling be set aside.

“It is ordered that the decision of the first respondent (Muchuchuti-Guvuriro) delivered on the 20th March 2021 under CRB HRE 1893/21 be and is hereby reviewed and set aside. The placement of the applicant on remand be and is hereby revoked and each party to bear its own costs,” Justice Mangota ruled.

Allegation­s were that sometime in July 2020, Makodza made a report of fraud against Munyaradzi after he resold stand number 1315 Sandton Mt Hampden, Harare, which he had sold to the complainan­t.

Munyaradzi was arrested and taken to court, where he was released on bail by the High Court.

His bail conditions were not to interfere with State witnesses, but according to the State, in January this year, on a date unknown to the prosecutor, Munyaradzi allegedly sent some people including Shadreck Homera to influence the complainan­t to withdraw the charges and have an out of court settlement in the fraud case.

Justice Mangota absolved Munyaradzi.

Last week, Munyaradzi was also acquitted by the High Court on a charge of bribery.

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