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A TOP Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) investigator, Smart Marlon Mandofa, was dragged to court over the weekend to answer to criminal abuse of duty charges.
Mandofa is being accused of interacting with a complainant, who is said to be on the police wanted list.
Mandofa investigated and arrested businessman, Ofer Sivan, in a fraud case involving US$762 000 and $22 million in which Gilad Shabtai was a complainant.
However, the police have now arrested him, and are looking for two other ZACC officials, for interacting with Shabtai.
Mandofa was remanded in custody to today after deputy prosecutor general Michael Reza recused himself saying he knew Mandofa.
Allegations are that in August 2021, Sivan made a complaint against Shabtai and co-director of their company, Munyaradzi Gonyora.
Gonyora was arrested and appeared in court but Shabtai could not be located as he was out of the country.
A warrant of arrest was issued against him before it was later cancelled in court.
Allegations are that Mandofa, and his accomplices, lied that an anonymous person filed a report of forgery against Sivan, and he was arrested.
The State had it that Sivan was arrested after he had made a report against Shabtai, who hasn’t been arrested to date.
It is further alleged that Sivan queried his arrest as it appeared that Shabtai had contacted ZACC, yet there was a pending warrant of apprehension against him.
A request for travel history, in respect of Gilad Shabtai, was made to the Chief Director of Immigration, Zimbabwe Immigration Department, for the period from November, 1 2021 to August, 18 2022.
It allegedly showed that Shabtai was out of the country, when the case was reported at ZACC, until the matter was referred to court for prosecution.
The travel record shows that Shabtai visited Zimbabwe, through Robert Mugabe International Airport on July, 17 2022, and left the next day, but Mandofa and his accomplices didn’t arrest him.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter