adminYeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
The trial of five Harare City Council’s staff facing allegations of fraudulently converting a public open space to 52 stands that they sold to unsuspecting buyers without following due process, has come to end with judgment set for next month.
This was after the State, represented by Mr Anesu Chirenje, led 16 witnesses who included the investigating officer. Judgement has been set for August 16 before Harare magistrate Mrs Learnmore Mapiye.
The accused are: acting director human capital Matthew Marara (48), acting chief clerical officer Aaron Tayerera (48), district officer for Kambuzuma and Warren Park Tutsirai Kanojerera (41), acting city planner Samuel Nyabezi (55), and acting area administration officer for Marlborough Charles Sigauke (42).
The complainant is the City of Harare represented by Belinda Kubvoruno who is the acting superintendent at the investigation section of metropolitan police.
Mr Chirenje alleged that during 2018 and 2019 the gang of five demarcated an open public space at Strathaven, Mabelreign, Harare and illegally created two layout plans TPF/WR/82/17 and SD/WR/12/16.
The layout plan number TPF/WR/82/17 with 25 stands, numbered 1089-1126 and SD/WR/12/16 (for privately owned land) with 27 stands numbered 1061-1088 under Strathaven were allegedly created under dubious circumstances with procedures being flouted.
The 52 stands were not valued, some of the beneficiaries were not interviewed, while some claim to have been interviewed in places outside the Department of Housing and Community Services. In addition, the land was not surveyed and the layout plans were not circulated to relevant departments, approval from stakeholders and the Local Government Ministry was not sought and dates endorsed on documents were back dated to 2017 yet the transactions were between 2018 to 2019 as receipts recovered from victims indicated.
Mr Chirenje further alleged that Tayerera in his capacity the chief clerical officer created offer letters in 2019 which he backdated to 20 April 2017; these offer letters were signed by Marara in his capacity of acting director for housing and community services for the City of Harare, a post he had relinquished in 2017.
Kanojerera despite having been transferred to Kambuzuma and WarrenPark from Marlborough District office created and signed agreements of sale in 2019, backdating them to 21 September 2017.
The court heard that Nyabezi in his capacity of acting town planner approved the dubious layout plans TPF/WR/82/17 and SD/WR/12/16 with 52 stands as authentic in the absence of ministerial change of reservation and endorsing the backdated approval to 21 April 2017.
Moreover, Sigauke acting as a front peron for the syndicate approached unsuspecting land seekers, middlemen and real estate agents to dispose of the stands for the syndicate’s personal benefit.
By way of deception or misrepresentation the accused claimed the stands were given to them by the City of Harare as a salary offset initiative.
The unsuspecting land seekers fell prey to the accused’s antics and bought the fictitious stands.
Amongst the 52 stands, of note are the stands parcelled out to Aaron Gomo who paid US$22 000 for stand number 1069 and Shelton Sibanda who paid US$25 000 for stand number 1106.
Online Reporter