Moyo, Zacc case takes dramatic twist

By Blessings Mashaya and Tarisai Machakaire

Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo yesterday said the documents that Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) used to press embezzlement charges against him in relation to the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef)’s money were stolen from his ministry’s offices.

He told Parliament’s Higher Education portfolio committee yesterday that most of Zimdef documents were stolen from their offices following a break-in last year.

Moyo said the same documents are the ones that were used to claim that he stole $400 000-plus from Zimdef — a Fund administered by his ministry.

“All the documents were taken and we discovered that they are in the hands of those people,” an emotionally-charged Moyo told the committee, adding that “use of stolen documents is improper”.

He also savaged Zacc, accusing the anti-graft body of continuing to pursue his case using unlawful channels.

“On December 9, (2016), Zacc wrote a letter to the speaker of Parliament while the matter is still before the courts. We are surprised that they do things behind the scenes in violation of the law, interestingly the letter was copied to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa,…minister Ignatius Chombo and chief secretary to the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda and I was not copied.

“They go to court and behind the scenes they are doing something. This is what we call bad administration.”

Moyo added that the Zimdef issue is affecting the operation of their ministry.

“We have been derailed with things which have nothing to do with the law. We are not able to focus 100 percent.”

Moyo’s sentiments came as his application in which he is challenging the Zacc’s arresting powers was postponed indefinitely last week.

Deputy chief justice Luke Malaba leading the Constitutional Court bench deferred the case after ruling that Moyo’s application was not properly filed in terms of the Rules of the court.

Zacc, however, argued that Moyo’s detention was lawful as it was within the parameters of the organisation’s investigating powers, adding that Munyaradzi Chacha has arresting powers as a police officer.

Meanwhile, MDC Harare province youth secretary-general, Denford Ngadziore, who attempted a citizen arrest on Moyo was yesterday acquitted of the charges.

Ngadziore, 32, was represented by Obey Shava when he appeared before Harare magistrate Lazini Ncube charged with contravening section 25(5) of the Public Order and Security Act which prohibits convening a public gathering without notifying the regulatory authority.

Ncube noted that the State had failed to establish a prima facie case against Ngadziore before discharging him at the close of the State case.

“All the State witnesses confirmed that they had not witnessed anything pertaining to the alleged offence rather their evidence was based on hearsay.

“I did not even bother myself cross examining the third and first witnesses because their evidence was clearly irrelevant,” Shava said.

Prosecutor Anesu Matorofa alleged that on October 17 last year around 11am, Ngadziore went to the department of Industrial Training and Trade Testing Harare regional offices at Shell House and convened an unsanctioned gathering.

In Ngadziore’s address, the court heard, he demanded the immediate arrest of Moyo for allegedly misappropriating Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef) funds.

Ngadziore was later arrested on November 2 by officers from the CID Law and Order division. Daily News