Former Zanu PF MP Psychology Maziwisa arrested over 2018 fraud

Former Zanu PF MP for Highfield Psychology Maziwisa was arrested on Friday and appeared at the Harare Magistrate Courts over a USD$12 650 fraud case from 2018.

Last week reports suggested Maziwisa was on the run after he and former ZBC presenter Oscar Pambuka allegedly did not hand themselves over to jail after their appeal against conviction and sentence was thrown out.

The duo were arrested in 2018 after they were fraudulently awarded a tender to do public relations work for Zesa Holdings under their firm, Fruitful Communications (Pvt) Ltd.

Former energy minister Samuel Undenge who facilitated the tender at a time the power utility had its own functional public relations department was convicted and jailed for abuse of office.

Pambuka and Maziwisa were convicted on charges of defrauding the Zimbabwe Power Company of US$12 650 and each sentenced to six years and five months in prison.

The rest of the term was suspended and they were supposed to serve 30 months.

However the two were not happy with the decision and decided to appeal to the High Court against both conviction and sentence.

When the matter was struck off the roll in September last year, the two were supposed to hand themselves over to jail but did not.

Pambuka was then convicted in another case of fraud on Wednesday last week and subsequently remanded in custody for sentencing.

Upon conviction in the second case, the courts activated Pambuka’s warrant of arrest for the previous case.

Maziwisa was allegedly on the run and had not been accounted for until Friday.