Transport Ministry deputy director Ernest Shenje who was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) for alleged fraud involving US$1 003 417 has denied charges claiming he is being persecuted by people who view him as Minister Felix Mhona’s blue-eyed boy.
Shenje was apprehended on Friday for his alleged involvement when US$200 000 was fraudulently claimed as compensation for property affected by the construction of the new Mbudzi roundabout.
The accused, however, believes his arrest is an attempt to make him a scapegoat to protect the real offenders.
Charges arose from a fraudulent claim of US$1 003 417 in which the alleged beneficiary got US$200 000 as compensation for a property using fake deeds and that he facilitated the payment.
Shenje appeared in court on Saturday and claimed that there was no evidence to link him to the offence.
Shenje, through his lawyer, Admire Rubaya, denied the allegations, saying he had no power to recommend or approve any payment and that his superiors had powers to cancel any papers from his office and not pay anyone.
He claimed that he is being victimised for being viewed as Transport Minister Felix Mhona’s boy.
According to court papers the government set up a fund to compensate the 136 рrореrty owners after a valuation and one of the affected properties was subdivision A of Subdivision B of Delft of Hopely held under Title Deed of Geoffrey Bannister.
Claims are that when compensation was due, Shenje connived with one Levy Idana and other Ministry officials and forged an agreement of sale using an aid title deed in the name of John Maloney who was the predecessor of title to Bannister purporting that Idana had purchased the property and was now the one due for compensation.
It is alleged that Idana submitted the fraudulent agreement of sale and the old Title Deeds to Shenje who in turn allegedly fast tracked the papers for payment resulting in two payments of US$100 000 each being made on December 8 and December 28.
The money was allegedly received by Idana from the finance ministry at the instruction of the ministry of transport.
In his defence and challenge to the allegations, Shinje said he has no power to influence any payment as he is a junior officer in the ministry, which has a director, chief director and a permanent secretary.
His lawyer claimed ZACC arrested the wrong person with no power to recommend or approve a payment, leaving people with signatures approving the alleged transaction.
“You can not arrest someone without the powers to recommend or approve a payment, but for only being regarded as the Ministry’s blue-eyed boy as subconsciously carded by the investigating officer, Rubaya told the court
When ZACC officer Elisha Chimusoro was called to buttress the State’s application to place Shenje on remand and during cross examination, he claimed that Shenje had a tendency of skipping his superiors and going up to the head of the Ministry
The defence felt the claim by the ZACC investigator showed the real intention behind his arrest.
During his evidence in chief, Chimusoro claimed the fraudulent claim originated from Shenje’s office and that he fast-tracked the payment.
Chimusoro also claimed that he has evidence, bank statements, showing Shenje benefitting from the crime, getting his share from the US$200 000 loot.
He said Shenje had not done due diligence of verifying the deed through the deeds office before recommending the payment.
He, however, admitted that only the director and chief director had recommendation powers, and the permanent secretary would approve the payments
He said investigations are still ongoing to get to the bottom of the matter.