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Fidelis Munyoro Chief Court Reporter
THE late former assistant manager for NMB Bank, Nyasha Dumbu’s 2.4-hectare stand in Arlington Estate was declared tainted property and forfeited to the State through a recent High Court ruling.
The Prosecutor General, through the Asset Forfeiture Unit senior counsel, Mr Chris Mutangadura, secured the forfeiture order before the High Court Anti-Corruption Division on the basis that Dumbu had probably used the money he stole from NMB to buy the property before fleeing the country to avoid arrest.
Justice Benjamin Chikowero granted the application for forfeiture after ruling that the State had a solid case warranting the relief sought.
“It is ordered that stand number 2485 Arlington Estate measuring 2.4 hectares held under Deed of Transfer Registered Number 3113/2017 dated 10 August 2017 is tainted property and is forfeited to the State,” ruled Justice Chikowero.
The judge also ordered Dumbu’s wife, Mrs Heather Dumbu and Danbro Holdings, a company supervising the Arlington project, to complete and sign all documents necessary to transfer the right, title and interest in the property to the State within seven days, failure to which the Sheriff or his deputy shall do so.
In addition, the Registrar of Deeds was directed to register transfer of the right, title and interest in the property in favour of the State.
The court heard that between January 2021 and April 2021, Dumbu connived with Arthur Munhuuripi, an accounts clerk, to steal ZWL23 million from NMB Bank.
Following the discovery of the offence in April 2021, Munhuuripi was arrested and appeared before the magistrates’ court charged with fraud and money laundering.
However, Dumbu fled the country.
This triggered the issuance of a warrant of arrest and an Interpol red notice against Dumbu.
However, Dumbu returned to Zimbabwe and died at Sally Mugabe Hospital before he could be arrested.
In his judgment, Justice Chikowero found that the property was acquired from proceeds of or associated with theft.
The uncontroverted evidence of the theft, Dumbu’s flight from the country, coupled with his wife’s desperate bid to mislead court on the source of the money used to purchase the property showed that the couple used proceeds of the theft to acquire it.
Justice Chikowero agreed with Mr Mutangadura that the State’s case was solid.
Mrs Dumbu’s lawyer, Advocate Choice Damiso’s submissions to the contrary found no favour with the judge.
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