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Ngonidzashe Gumbo, accused of defrauding the commission of US$435 000, was yesterday granted US$1 000 bail, but will remain in custody
for the next seven days after the State invoked Section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.
The section allows the State to hold suspects for a week while it considers appealing.
Gumbo allegedly bought offices to be used by the commission in Mt Pleasant using Government funds, but registered the property in the name of a company he jointly owned with four of his subordinates.
He appeared before Mr Donald Ndirowei yesterday who granted him the bail coupled with stringent conditions.
As part of his bail conditions, Gumbo was barred from visiting Zacc offices and to report once a week at CID serious frauds.
He was also ordered not to interfere with witnesses and investigations until the matter is finalised.
In granting the bail, Mr Ndirowei said: “After hearing submissions from both counsels, this court finds that there are no cogent reasons to keep the accused person incarcerated. The accused person is not a flight risk since he turned himself to the police.”
Prosecutor Mr Michael Reza then invoked Section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.
“Your Worship, the State is aggrieved by the ruling of this honourable court. However, the State intends to appeal to the High Court in terms of section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act,” he said.
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The matter was remanded to April 8.
Mr Reza alleged that in 2010, Zacc approached the Home Affairs Ministry seeking alternative accommodation when their landlords were about to evict them.
The ministry instructed Gumbo to look for an alternative property and he identified 872 Betterment Close in Mt Pleasant that belonged to Diane Spalletah.
It is alleged that Gumbo went back to the ministry where he requested US$1 680 000 to buy the property and Government deposited US$1,7 million into a Zacc account.
Gumbo allegedly instructed his subordinates Sukai Tongogara, Edwin Mubataripi, Christopher Chisango and Gibson Mangwiro to form a shelf company called Property Mortgage where they became directors with equal shares.
A Zacc administration and human resources manager deposited the US$1 680 000 into a CBZ account for Perpetual Properties trust account.
It is believed that Gumbo’s daughter was an administrator for Perpetual Properties and she was the one who did the transactions.
The property was bought for US$1,2 million, which was fully paid to the owner Spalletah by Perpetual Properties.
Perpetual Real agents deducted their commission amounting to US$44 500, leaving a balance of US$435 500.
It is the State’s contention that US$160 000 was used for the purchase of a property owned by Poptechnologies where Gumbo and Popatlal Samir are directors.
A person called Da Silva was given US$100 000, while Samir received US$95 000.
Gumbo allegedly allocated US$80 000 for “renovations”.
Online Reporter