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director Lovemore Kurotwi and former ZMDC chief executive Dominic Mubaiwa are facing charges of defrauding the Government of US$2 billion.
One of the defence lawyers Advocate Lewis Uriri made the accusations against Minister Mpofu while cross-examining ZMDC chairman Godwills Masimirembwa, a State witness in the case.
Mr Masimirembwa is the first State witness to give evidence in the trial being presided over by Justice Chinembiri Bhunu.
Adv Uriri accused Minister Mpofu of being responsible for the Benn Steinmeitz Group Resources (BSGR) and Marange Resources partnership in diamond mining in Chiadzwa.
He said Minister Mpofu wrote to President Mugabe recommending the investor before the ZMDC board deliberated on other potential investors.
“The entering of the partnership is solely and exclusively the baby of the minister,” said Adv Uriri.
“It is clear both the ZMDC officials and ministry advisors recommended negotiations and inclusion of other mining companies whereas the minister had already settled for a partner.”
Adv Uriri said Minister Mpofu wrote a letter on June 23, 2009 to President Mugabe recommending a partnership deal to be entered into with BSGR.
“ZMDC officials and ministry officials recommended negotiations while he (Minister Mpofu) recommended the partnership.
“The partnership is the ministers baby not ZMDC and ministry officials,” Adv Uriri submitted.
Mr Masimirembwa dismissed the claims, saying the partnership agreement was to be entered into with BSGR not Core Mining, a shelf company.
“That’s not correct, the recommendation by the minister that ZMDC enters into partnership was not out of place as BSGR possessed the necessary financial capacity,” he said.
Mr Masimirembwa said there was no board at ZMDC at that time and that was why the recommendations had gone to the minister.
“We say ministers are inefficient but when they are expeditious Advocate Uriri is angry,” Mr Masimirembwa said.
He accused the defence of fabricating some documents that it produced in court.
Mr Masimirembwa had also questioned the authenticity of some board minutes produced by the defence and requested to be allowed to bring original copies of minutes of meetings held by the ZMDC boards.
Asked why recommendations by ZMDC management and board were different from the minister’s position, Mr Masimirembwa said Mubaiwa had misrepresented to the minister about the US$2 billion investment.
He said Mubaiwa deviated from communications he had been sending to the minister as the investment amount had drastically changed to US$50 million from US$2 billion and an initial US$200 million that was supposed to be initial investment by BSGR.
Mr Masimirembwa said Government had lost US$2 billion as a result of the misrepresentation by Mubaiwa and Kurotwi who “hijacked” Core Mining, a shelf company,
to become the joint venture partner for Marange Resources.
The trial continues today.
Online Reporter