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Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
FORMER Mines and Mining Development secretary Francis Gudyanga on Monday told the court that he had dropped his application to be tried in camera and indicated that he now wants to expose State secrets.
His lawyer, Mr Norman Mugiya, had earlier on notified the court of his client’s intention to be tried in camera citing the damaging nature of the evidence that exposes State secrets.
Gudyanga, who is also the former Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) board chairperson allegedly paid $1 629 500 from the parastatal’s coffers to a foreign firm through a local agricultural company, Pedstock Investments.
Gudyanga told the court that there was no need to protect the State if it did not need to be protected.
Harare regional magistrate Mr Hosea Mujaya deferred the matter to August 5 and 6 for trial commencement.
Prosecutor Mr Venerandah Munyoro represented the State.
It is alleged that during the period extending from September 2014 to December 2015, Gudyanga, acting as the permanent secretary, ordered MMCZ to pay US$1 629 500 to Glammer (Private) Limited.
Gudyanga allegedly told MMCZ to pay Glammer through Pedstock Investments, as Glammer was a foreign company.
He also allegedly lied that the money was to be accounted for as part of the dividends to the stakeholder, which was the Government of Zimbabwe.
MMCZ released the money to Pedstock Investments.
It was later discovered that the money had nothing to do with MMCZ and it was not being paid to the Government of Zimbabwe, but instead was used in a fraudulent arrangement Gudyanga had made.
Dividends were supposed to be paid to the permanent secretary, who then issues a receipt of acknowledgement.
Online Reporter