Kamambo case further postponed

Nyore Madzianike
Senior Court Reporter
FORMER Zifa president Felton Kamambo had his bribery case yesterday further postponed to May 18, as his lawyer is yet to access the record of proceedings so far during the hearing.

Kamambo is expected to open his defence after his application for discharge at the close of the State case was dismissed by Harare regional magistrate Mrs Bianca Makwande.

His lawyer Mr Chenaimoyo Gumiro indicated that he wanted to go through the record of proceedings to determine whether he would first appeal against the court’s decision or open the defence.

Kamambo is charged with bribery after he allegedly paid ZIFA councillors to vote him to the top position during the December 2018 elections for the Zimbabwe Football Association.

Mrs Makwande dismissed Kamambo’s application saying the State had managed to lead evidence to establish a case that warrants him to be put to his defence.

She said although the court was alive to the fact that the elections were conducted under secret ballot, and there is no evidence to show how councillors voted, evidence led by the State “led one to presume that the monies paid to the councillors were for obtaining an advantage”.

“The court also questioned the timing when Kamambo decided to pay the voters through EcoCash.

“In addition to this, the State witness, Robert Matoka, who was declared a hostile witness by the court, made a statement to the police that he made payments to agents for them to vote for the accused, which statement is before the court.

“The court cannot turn a blind eye to the statement although the witness said he was made to write the statement by the police. His account was not satisfactory given that his report to Philip Chiyangwa that led to the investigation to commence, and which the investigations unearthed, were that there were various payments made to agents,” said Mrs Makwande before dismissing Kamambo’s application.