Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
FORMER Agriculture deputy minister Douglas Karoro, accused of siphoning inputs from the Grain Marketing Board to distribute them to the needy in Mbire district has been acquitted of fraud.
The former legislator, together with GMB assistant manager Lovejoy Ngowe, were found not guilty on a charge of fraud by Regional Magistrate Taurai Manuwere.
Karoro, who was represented by Admire Rubaya and Malvern Mapako argued that the State had failed to link him to the offence.
He said the depot manager at GMB Mushumbi even exonerated him, saying he was never misrepresented, or did he ever release any maize seed to him.
Karoro also blamed his political rivals for creating allegations to force him out of the race to represent Mbire in the 2023 harmonised elections.
“There is no indication whatsoever of what the alleged misrepresentation is and how it was allegedly made by the accused persons and to whom it was made. There is no indication as to whom the alleged misrepresentation was made,” his lawyer argued.
Karoro argued that he was never at Mushumbi to collect the alleged seed and that the State’s key witness, Honest Nyathi, was not a “truthful person” and had “conceded having completed paperwork in the absence of the Karoro, yet the paperwork considered on its own painted a picture as if the accused person was present in Mushumbi.”
Karoro had been clear from the word go, the defence argued, that he was not in Mushumbi on the days in question and he was not involved in the alleged collection of the maize seed.
“The accused was clear that because he is a politician, there are people who would name-drop his name and get these inputs in circumstances where he would not have been involved at all,” his lawyer said.
It was also alleged that Karoro received 5 000 vegetable combo kits from Valley Seed Private Limited, which were to be handed over to GMB Mushumbi under the Presidential Input Programme, but he was accused of having converted the seed to his own use.
He also denied the allegations, saying he was a victim of name-dropping by actual thieves of the inputs.
“The State alleged that the person who collected the combo kits signed for them, yet there is no evidence that the person who signed is the accused person.
“No one saw the accused signing at Valley Seeds, nor is there a handwriting expert to that effect proving that the accused person is the one who signed the documents.
