adminThandeka Moyo Court Reporter
A PLUMTREE senior magistrate, who was fired for allegedly hiding court records in 2013, was yesterday acquitted of the charge. Steven Mavuna, 31, was facing charges of criminal abuse of office after allegedly jeopardising court cases by hiding records. Announcing his acquittal at the close of the State’s case in the Bulawayo Regional Court, senior regional magistrate Trynos Utahwashe said:
“After a protracted trial with a voluminous record of proceedings, Mavuna made an application to be discharged at the end of the State case.
“After going through evidence that has been given in this court, it’s clear there’s no prime evidence that links the alleged crimes to Mavuna.
“The application for discharge is therefore granted.”
He said the court found Mavuna not guilty of criminal abuse of duty as a public officer.
Mavuna in his defence had stated that it was the clerk of court who hid the records.
The State case led by Goodluck Katenaire was that between 2009 and 2012 Mavuna, who was stationed at Plumtree court passed sentences on some cases.
However, he did not send the records to the regional court for scrutiny but kept them in his office.
The records allegedly disappeared from his office before they could be taken for scrutiny.
Katenaire also alleged that Mavuna went on to cover up for the offence by making false entries in scrutiny and review registers.
A whistleblower notified the police leading to Mavuna’s arrest and the recovery of the Criminal Record Book covers in his office.
Nine exhibits were presented before the court including review register covering 2004-2008, appeals register for 2008-2012, empty files which bear names of the accused persons, records for appeals given to Mavuna and records for review and scrutiny.
“All the records I was dealing with were taken to the clerk of court offices. I was shocked to discover that the clerk of court was in the habit of hiding the records. One of the clerks, Patience Ntini, has since confessed to that effect saying for years they had been doing that,” Mavuna said.
Ntini refuted Mavuna’s claims, telling the court that all missing records had disappeared in Mavuna’s care.
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