By Zvikomborero Parafini
A Harare magistrate yesterday threw out former ZINARA chairperson Albert Mugabe’s objection for the State to admit the letter of correspondence he allegedly wrote to CBZ securitising a mortgage loan by the parastatal’s CEO.
Regional magistrate Lazini Ncube ruled that the letter be admitted as evidence as it was referred to by the State’s first witness Methlene Mujokoro and not because it was authored by Mugabe.
“In the witness’s testimony she said she was made aware of the letter by Wilfred Ramwi, because of that the court overrides the objection and admits the letter as evidence, the onus is still on the State to prove whether Mugabe authored the letter,” said Ncube.
Mugabe stands accused of criminal abuse of office charge after he allegedly wrote to CBZ Bank and misrepresented that the ZINARA board had agreed to set off a $300 000 mortgage for its CEO Nancy Chamisa-Masiyiwa.
Prosecuting Beaven Murevanhema continued with the State case before Mugabe’s lawyer Admire Rubaya made another objection to the admissibility of the second letter the State intended to submit.
The second letter was allegedly authored on April 11 2017, by Mugabe informing the CBZ bank that ZINARA board had made an undertaking to service the loan in the event that she defaults the payment.
Mujokoro confirmed that the letter was written Mugabe in his capacity as former board chair, adding that she was familiar with Mugabe’s signature as she had seen it in previous minutes.
Rubaya demanded to know the State intention in tendering the letter to which prosecutor Murevanhema said he is producing the document to show that Mugabe acted contrary to his duties as then ZINARA board chair.
Murevanhema said Mujokoro is conversant with Mugabe’s handwriting and can positively testify to that effect.
The matter was remanded to today for continuation. H-Metro
