Mataz trial date

Senior Court Reporter
The State will today furnish former StarFM programmes manager Tichafa Matambanadzo, who is accused of defrauding the station of over US$125 000 with his trial date. It is alleged Matambanadzo diverted the station’s advertising revenue to two companies he had interests in.

Matambanadzo who had an outstanding warrant of arrest after he failed to turn up in court for his routine remand on Tuesday, yesterday appeared before magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo for cancellation of the warrant.

Through his lawyer Mr Dumisani Mthombeni, Tich Mataz as he is populary known, told the court that he was in Kenya for a church conference and missed his flight back.

He produced documents to prove that he was indeed in Kenya prompting Mr Makomo to cancel the warrant.
Matambanadzo, however, notified the court that if the State fails to give him a trial date today, he would make an application for refusal of further remand.

Prosecutor Miss Sharon Mashavira then made an undertaking that the State would provide him with a trial date today.
Matambanadzo is out of custody on US$150 bail.

Miss Mashavira alleges that during the period extending from June 25 last year to May 15 this year, Matambanadzo hatched a plan to defraud Star FM after he misrepresented to clients that Star FM did not have the capacity to produce certain programmes before indicating that he was the company’s agent through Hamtec and Onesay Investments companies.