Embattled former finance minister Ignatius Chombo faces new fraud charges linked to the embezzlement of Z$14-billion he received from the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe in December 2005.
Chombo already faces several corruption charges, brought after the fall of Robert Mugabe last year. Since then, he has been in and out of court for routine appearances. The latest charge is in line with President Emmerson Mnangagwa's zero-tolerance stance to corruption.
The law and order unit of the Criminal Investigations Department recently contacted Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya to seek the present-day value of the Zimbabwe dollar billions that Chombo received.
TRIAL DATES
Correspondence from the law and order unit to Mangudya, dated June 6 and seen by the Sunday Times, reveals that a new case is being put together against Chombo.
"This office is investigating a case of fraud in which the accused is Ignatius Morgan Chiminya Chombo. In December 2005, the accused obtained a loan of Z$14-billion from Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe, which was facilitated by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe under Other Crops and Livestock facility.
"The accused diverted the use of the money and went on to buy two Toyota Hilux double-cab vehicles, contrary to its intended purpose of purchasing farming equipment. We therefore request your good office to assist us with the current value of the Z$14-billion which was obtained by the accused in December 2005," the letter stated.
Lovemore Madhuku, Chombo's legal counsel, on Friday confirmed knowledge of the new charges against his client and said he would appear before the courts to face them.
"The matter is now before the courts, so I cannot comment on it, but we were in court and he was given trial dates," Madhuku said.
The trial is set down to begin on July 26.
Chombo, a leading light of the G40 faction in Zanu-PF that was pushing for the takeover of power by former first lady Grace Mugabe, was targeted in November by special forces of the military, and was held incommunicado for a week by soldiers.According to Madhuku, during that time, Chombo was beaten. He was arrested by police on his release and charged with fraud and abuse of office related to the time that he was the local government minister.
On July 18, Chombo will be in court for allegedly contravening sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. He stands accused of prejudicing Eddie Pfugari Properties to the tune of more than $200-million in a botched land deal.
Chombo - along with former Zanu-PF youth leaders Kudzai Chipanga, Innocent Hamandishe and Mathew Nleya - is also accused of wearing the party's regalia without authority.
That case is also set down for July 26.
He will appear in court again on August 2 to answer charges of defrauding the City of Harare of property worth $900,000. His co-accused are Lazarus Chimba, Rejoice Pazvakavambwa and Psychology Chiwanga.
Chombo will be on trial on August 8 for allegedly defrauding businessman Chargan Vithal Rama of $500,000 in company share ownership transfer deal. The allegations are that in 2001, Rama got a 60-year lease for a farm expiring in 2054. It is alleged that, sometime in 2007 after spending $500,000 on setting up a fish farm, Rama ran out of money and approached banks for funding. The banks demanded surety in the form of title deeds for the land on which the fish farming was taking place.
The state alleges that in 2007, Rama, through the facilitation of his brother, Amrat Vithal, who at one time was a councillor in Chirundu, arranged for a meeting with Chombo at his office.
The aim of the meeting was allegedly to ask Chombo to facilitate the issuing of the title deeds.Chombo allegedly advised them that it was possible to get the title deeds on condition that Rama surrendered 25% of the business to him.
Chombo allegedly made it clear that the 25% was for the facilitation of the title deeds.
In 2014, Chombo was also reportedly under investigation for corruption by the CID over the unprocedural construction of a business complex that now accommodates Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe in Pomona.
In another case Chombo was also allegedly involved in the $80-million Airport Road, which has been shrouded in mystery over how Augur Investments was controversially awarded the contract when it was linked to his company.
In April Chombo's bail conditions were relaxed and he was given back his passport after Madhuku successfully applied to have his travel documents released in order for him to seek medical attention in South Africa.
Other charges he is facing include corruption that the state alleges cost it more than $3.6-million.
Political observers have expressed reservations about the number of cases piling up against former government ministers without being translated into convictions.
This, they say, risks dampening the crusade against corruption fronted by Mnangagwa.
Political analyst Alexander Rusero said the charges had failed to end in convictions, rendering the entire mantra against corruption as nothing more than grandstanding.
"It is politics, the objective has been achieved: disrupt G40 and scatter it all over. It explains why the cases are failing. It was and will remain politics.
"There is no political will by the new administration to follow through the high expectations which were there when they came into office," he said...