Zimdef: Minister appears in court

Sunday Mail Reporter
Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Deputy Minister Dr Godfrey Gandawa, who was arrested Friday on fraud charges, was yesterday released on US$500 bail with stringent conditions.Dr Gandawa, his boss Professor Jonathan Moyo, and Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund principal director Mr Nicholas Mapute stand accused by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission of siphoning about US$450 000 from Zimdef.

However, Prof Moyo did not show up at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts both on Friday and yesterday as it turned out that he had never been formally summoned. The Constitutional Court has since suspended charges against him until determination of his application challenging the constitutionality of the arrest.

As such presiding officer, Mr Vakayi Chikwekwe dismissed the State’s application for a warrant of arrest for Prof Moyo. Granting bail to Dr Gandawa and Mr Mapute, the magistrate said the State’s fears that the accused wsould interfere with witnesses were speculative, and instead imposed stringent bail conditions.

“An analysis of all submissions made has persuaded me to grant liberty pending trial to accused one (Dr Gandawa) as has been done with accused number three Nicholas Mapute and one Fredrick Mandizvidza who is facing similar allegations in another case.

“The two accused are hereby admitted to bail on the following conditions: each is ordered to deposit US$500 bail with the clerk of court Harare, each is ordered to reside at the given address until the matter is finalised.

Each is ordered never to interfere with investigations and each accused are ordered to surrender their passports to the clerk of court Harare.

“Accused one (Dr Gandawa) is ordered to report every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at Highlands Police Station.”

Prof Moyo and Dr Gandawa face five counts of criminal abuse of duty as public officers, three of fraud and another three of money laundering. Dr Gandawa is also facing four counts of corruptly concealing from a principal a personal interest in a transaction.

A report released by ZACC points to corrupt and fraudulent transactions involving the Higher and Tertiary Education Ministry, Zimdef, Wisebone Trading and Fuzzy Technologies (Pvt) Ltd. Dr Gandawa owns Fuzzy Technologies.