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Court Reporter
Former Air Zimbabwe bosses — Grace Pfumbidzayi and Peter Chikumba — who are being tried for swindling the airline of €5 175 593 and $502 748 in an alleged insurance scam are now seeking acquittal at the end of the prosecution’s case. Defence lawyers Advocate Webster Chinamhora and Mr Admire Rubaya, filed an application for discharge on behalf of the company’s former secretary Pfumbidzayi and former chief executive officer Chikumba.
The application was filed at the Harare Magistrate’s Court a week after the State closed its case in the fraud and criminal abuse of office trial.
The duo argues that the prosecution failed to prove its case and that there was no need for them to be put to their defence.
Adv Chinamhora, who was being instructed by Mr Andrew Muvirimi of Muvirimi and Associates, submitted in his papers that the evidence adduced by the State was manifestly unreliable and some witnesses were not credible.
“There is no evidence to prove the essential elements of the charge of criminal abuse of duty as a public officer.
“In the alternative, the evidence adduced on behalf of the State was so manifestly unreliable that no reasonable court could safely act on it,” reads part of the application.
Adv Chinamhora said Mr Bhudhama Chikamhi, who prepared the audit report used in the preparation of the prosecution’s case, was not a credible witness in court.
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