Chronicle Editor
Freedom Mupanedemo, Midlands Bureau
Former Midlands Provincial Affairs Minister and Senator for Gokwe, Jason Machaya was yesterday granted $1 000 bail by a Gweru magistrate, Ms Mildred Matuvi.
Machaya who has been in custody since Christmas Eve, is facing abuse of office charges. He is alleged to have improperly allocated land to private developers in the Midlands province.
Machaya who was granted bail by the High Court in connection with the case involving Gokwe stands, was immediately arrested on fresh charges while coming out of hospital where he was recuperating after falling sick while on remand at Whawha Prison.
He was detained at Mtapa Police Station last Friday before he was arraigned before Ms Matuvi on Saturday.
She remanded him in custody to yesterday.
Machaya, who is represented by Mr Ambrose Dururu of Dururu and Associates Legal Practitioners, heaved a sigh of relief when Ms Matuvi granted him bail before a packed courtroom yesterday.
As part of his bail conditions, Machaya was asked to report twice at Kwekwe Central Police Station and remain at his given Sherwood Farm address.
He was also told not to visit his former workplace at the Gweru Government Complex.
The State case against Machaya is that he allocated State land totalling 17 799 stands to land developers in Gweru whereas he did not have the function and lawful responsibility to allocate land to the said developers.
The court heard that the function was solely and lawful the responsibility of the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.
The court further alleged that Machaya got 1 791 commonage stands from the said developers and disposed 1 185 of them.
derick.khumalo