ZETDC MD freed

Zvikomborero Parafini

ZIMBABWE Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC)  managing director, Lovemore Chinaka, was yesterday acquitted, at the close of the State case.

Harare magistrate Taurai Manuwere ruled that the State failed to prove its case.

Magistrate Manuwere ruled that the ZETDC was not a public or a statutory board and, as such, Chinaka was not a public officer and cannot be charged for criminal abuse of duty as a public officer.

“The court set out the law applicable, in the application for discharge and its trite law that the court should discharge an accused person when there’s no evidence, or when unreliable evidence is led.

“The evaluation at this stage is different from that at the end of the trial, the court just considers the evidence led on a balance of probability.

“The tender was awarded by Katsande, the then accounting officer, and he merely implemented the contract that had been awarded. Not only did the State fail to prove its case but there’s no evidence on which a reasonable court can convict and the accused is therefore discharged and found not guilty,” he said.

Meanwhile, Harare Town Clerk, Hosea Chisango and his Council counterparts Addmore Nhekairo and Samuel Nyabezi, were also discharged by the same court in the matter they were accused of illegally parcelling out stands in Kuwadzana.

The magistrate ruled that the trio did nothing out of the ordinary as they were only executing their duties as Council officials.