By Nyore Madzianike
Acting Harare City Town Planner Samuel Nyabeza appeared in court yesterday on allegations of demanding a bribe from a client to facilitate the quick processing of their lease agreement.
Nyabeza, who was being represented by lawyer Simon Chabuka, appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts on criminal abuse of office charges after he reportedly demanded an unspecified amount of money from Patrick Chiremba.
Magistrate Barbara Mateko remanded him out of custody to March 26. Prosecuting, Devoted Nyagano, had it that sometime in November 2015 Chiremba applied for a commercial stand and submitted his application in the Valuation and Estate Department.
The court heard that sometime in October last year, Chiremba and his friend made a follow-up and some officials expressed shock as to why he had not been given a lease agreement.
Chiremba was then referred to the City Planning office where he met Nyabeza.
It is the State’s case that Nyabeza told them that the delay was due to their failure to pay up. Chiremba’s friend asked Nyabeza how much he wanted and he told them that they were supposed to give him a “reasonable amount.
After a week, Chiremba returned to Nyabeza’s office in the company of police who trapped him. The Herald
