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Marvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
THE Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) president, Trynos Nkomo (47), has been arrested for allegedly lying to detectives that he was into a mining partnership with Vice President Joice Mujuru. ZMF is an organisation made up of small scale miners operating in different parts of the country.
Nkomo of Bunny’s Luck Mine in West Nicholson, 40km outside Gwanda Town, yesterday appeared before Gwanda magistrate Ms Sheila Nazombe facing charges of criminal insult (impairing the dignity of VP Mujuru) or alternatively charges of deliberately supplying false information to a public authority by saying that VP Mujuru was his partner in a company called Matshamahle Mining Private Limited.
Nkomo is alleged to have lied when police were investigating him for externalising gold.
He pleaded not guilty and was remanded out of custody on his own cognisance to 14 October.
In his defence, Nkomo denied ever saying he was involved in a partnership with VP Mujuru and accused the police of fabricating the story to damage the VP’s reputation.
“I didn’t say that. I never said she was my partner in anyway. I think the police are interested in making a case out of nothing. Maybe they just want to simply tarnish the relationship between me and the VP or maybe the police intend to tarnish the VP’s image.
“I only said that I did not have the original documents because they are in Harare with the VP’s lawyers. I didn’t know that it was criminal for me to mention that the papers were with the VP’s lawyers,” said Nkomo.
A State witness, Mr Wonder Aaron Pambana (60), a deputy director in VP Mujuru’s office told the court that there was no partnership between VP Mujuru and Nkomo.
An affidavit signed by VP Mujuru on 18 September this year and produced in court read that there was no business relationship existing or which once existed between VP Mujuru and Nkomo.
In her affidavit VP Mujuru said she knew Nkomo only in connection with the case.
“I want to categorically state that I do not have any interest in the so-called Matshamahle Mining Pvt Ltd neither do I have any shares in that company.
“Such utterances that are made by the accused person are malicious and tend to discredit my reputation and that of my office,” said VP Mujuru.
Allegations by the State are that on 27 May this year at about 12 noon, detectives from Gwanda Minerals Unit went to Nkomo’s mine after receiving information that he was externalising gold.
The detectives approached Nkomo and asked him to produce the mine certificate and the company registration documents but he failed to do so.
The court was told that Nkomo told the detectives that he was in a partnership with VP Mujuru and all the mining certificates and registration documents were in Harare.
The information was verified and it turned out that Nkomo lied to gain some advantage over the police, the court was told.
Mr Blessing Gundani is representing the State while Nkomo is represented by Mr Thompson Mabhikwa of Mabhikwa and Partners.
Online Reporter