Goche released on $50 000 bail

Bindura magistrate Tendai Chifamba Thursday granted $50 000 bail to former cabinet minister Nicholas Goche who is facing stock theft charges.

Goche, a former transport minister was arrested on Wednesday and he was ordered to come back in court on 21 October.

As part of his bail conditions, Goche was ordered to surrender his passport, report every Friday at Shamva Police Station, continue residing at his Shamva farm which he gave as his permanent residence and not interfere with witnesses.

A farmer Honest Mupanedengu (43) of Mufakose, Harare is a complainant in the matter.

Meanwhile, it is alleged that on 13 November 2018, Goche sold 40 beasts to Mupanedengu and the payment for the cattle was made through a bank transfer into a CABS account number 1036879593.

According to the court papers, Mupanedengu collected only 22 heifers out of the 40, leaving behind 18 beasts.

Sometime in 2019, Goche is said to have disposed of the 18 heifers without the complainant’s knowledge, the court heard.

Mupanedengu approached Goche on several occasions to collect his 18 beasts but was dismissed and further told the animals had already been sold.

Meanwhile, former information minister Jonathan Moyo begs to differ with the reasons for Goche’s arrest

Former information minister Jonathan Moyo vowed to unpack details of the reasons why President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government was arresting the cabinet minister.

“What? Something fishy. It is an open secret in Zanu PF corridors that Mnangagwa has unfinished business with Goche. Details of the case would be interesting to unpack,” Moyo said on Twitter