SUSPENDED POLICE BOSS NOT GUILTY

Zvikomborero Parafini

THE suspended director of Police Intelligence, Commissioner Douglas Nyakutsikwa, and City of Harare Housing Director Admore Nhekairo, were on Saturday acquitted in an anti-graft case involving the corrupt allocation of a residential stand in Strathaven.

Magistrate Ngoni Nduna cleared Commissioner Nyakutsikawa and Nhekairo after upholding their application for discharge at the close of the State case.

They were being charged with criminal abuse of office and alternatively fraud.

The duo, through their lawyers Tapson Dzvetero and Batanai Pesanai, applied for discharge at the close of the State case arguing that there was no evidence linking them to the offence. They argued that the witnesses had not said anything pointing to them committing the offence.

In his ruling, Magistrate Nduna agreed with the duo on the fact that the State witnesses, drawn from the police and City of Harare, failed to give testimonies that warranted them to explain themselves at defence case.

The court ruled that although the prosecutor made a spirited effort during trial to resuscitate the case, “the coffin was already in the grave”.

Nduna added that the investigating officer’s testimony was marred with hearsay evidence which was highly unreliable while witnesses from the City of Harare maintained that everything was above board, even though some of them exhibited hostility.

The court also ruled that all the witnesses failed to give evidence that pointed out that the two had committed a fraud offence.

Accusations against the two were that on November 28, 2018, Comm Nyakutsikwa was invited for a selection interview for the allocation of Stand 1057, Strathaven Township, by Nhekairo without having applied.

Nhekairo allegedly went on to select Nyakutsikwa for the offer of the stand.

It was alleged that Nyakutsikwa wrote a letter, on a ZRP letterhead, to Harare City Council seeking six residential stands in the Vainona neighbourhood for himself, his friend Trynos Shonhiwa, who is not a police officer, and his brother-in-law, Like Buroma.

The letter was erroneously dated December 10, 2020, and as he was given three stands.

Comm Nyakutsikwa and Nhekairo were alleged to have shown favour to Shonhiwa and Buroma by causing the allocation without following due process.

It was also alleged that Nyakutsikwa also benefited unlawfully at the same time as he was shown favour by Nhekairo.