Chombo’s bail conditions relaxed

Former Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo is no longer expected to report to the police on weekends following a successful application for relaxation of his bail conditions. Chombo, who is facing a litany of corruption charges, is now expected to report once a day between Monday and Friday instead of three times daily.

Chombo, who is now a full time farmer, is on $5 000 bail and was reporting three times a day at Marlborough Police Station in Harare between 6am and 10am, 12pm-2pm and 4pm-6pm.

Through his defence council, Professor Lovemore Madhuku, Chombo asked the court for him to report once a day to allow him to attend to his farm.

Part of Chombo’s stringent bail conditions include surrendering his travel documents and title deeds to his Mount Pleasant house and not to interfere with State witnesses.

He was also prohibited from visiting the Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Ministry offices and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) until the matter was finalised.

Chombo is facing charges of violating Section 4(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Chapter 9:16) by allegedly conniving with Psychology Chiwanga, Rejoice Pazvakavambwa, Iben Fransisco, James Chiyangwa, Theresa Chenjerayi, Elias Choto and Lazarus Chimba to forge documents used to transfer a Glen Lorne property from Harare City Council to Alois Chimeri.

Chombo is also accused of allocating residential stands to illegal settlers at Whitecliff Farm in Harare before demanding and receiving a bribe of a 3 712 square metre stand from the landowner to remove the settlers.

The land owner, Eddies Pfugari Property Developers (Pvt) Ltd, lost property worth $200 million in the process. Harare magistrate Ms Josephine Sande presided over the case.