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Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Reporter
Former Air Zimbabwe chief executive Peter Chikumba, who is facing fraud and corruption charges amounting to millions of United States dollars, yesterday mounted a bail appeal at the High Court.
Chikumba was on Tuesday denied bail along with two others – Grace Pfumbidzayi (former company secretary) and Innocent Mavhunga (former acting chief executive) – by a magistrate and has now approached the superior court for relief.
The trio was caught up in an alleged aircraft insurance scam that saw Air Zimbabwe losing €5 175 593 and US$502 748.
A Harare Magistrates’ Court dismissed their bail applications on the basis that they were likely to flee considering the seriousness of the alleged crimes and the likely penalties in the event of conviction.
Harare lawyers Mr Jonathan Samukange and Mr Andrew Muvirimi, representing Pfumbidzayi, yesterday said they were analysing the magistrate’s record of proceedings before filing her bail appeal at the High Court.
Mr Samukange said: “We are challenging the magistrate’s decision in the case. We are going through the court record but we will file the appeal as soon as we finish.”
Mr Tich Garabga, acting for Mavhunga, said he was still working on the fresh application.
Chikumba’s lawyer, Mr Admire Rubaya, indicated to the High Court that the magistrate erred in dismissing the application on the basis that the alleged crimes were serious.
He argued that the seriousness of the allegations on their own did not militate against granting of bail to a suspect. Mr Rubaya also stated that the State failed to prove the existence of a strong case against his client that might induce him to abscond if granted bail.
He also argued that the court wrongly held that Chikumba was a flight risk when no evidence had been led to substantiate the claim.
The matter is yet to be set down for hearing.
Online Reporter