Tich Mataz warrant of arrest cancelled

Harare — Radio and television personality Tichafa Matambanadzo, who is accused of defrauding the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, had a warrant of arrest issued against him last week cancelled yesterday.

The warrant had been issued after Matambanadzo failed to surrender his passport to the clerk of court.

Matambanadzo appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Munamato Mutevedzi, who cancelled the warrant after he told the court that he had been unable to return his travelling document because he was ill.

Matambanadzo, who is on bail, last month successfully applied to be temporarily given back his passport because he wanted to travel outside the country on business.

When he returned, he failed to return the passport, prompting the magistrate to issue him with an arrest warrant. Charges against Matambanadzo arose in July 2008 when Government, through the RBZ introduced the Basic Commodities Supply Side Intervention facility to provide food hampers to the general public at affordable prices.

The State alleges that on November 3 last year, the RBZ approached Matambanadzo and Tendai Chamba who are directors of Subvented Solutions Pvt Ltd  a company which had been a regular supplier of foodstuffs, and contracted them to supply 1 151 food hampers. The food hampers comprised salt, maize meal, laundry soap, candles, petroleum jelly, toothpaste, bath soap and margarine.

The goods were quoted at a total cost of ZW$150 140.

It is further alleged that on November 5, the RBZ transferred the ZW$150 140 into the pair’s account. Source: The Herald