Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo was yesterday arrested for alleged abuse of office and misappropriating over $400 000 Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef) funds. He was later released into the custody of his lawyer and is expected to appear in court today. Zimdef is a parastatal that falls under Prof Moyo’s portfolio
The minister presented himself to the Zimbabwe AntiCorruption Commission (ZACC) head office in Mt Pleasant, Harare, where a warned and cautioned statement was recorded after over five hours of closeddoor grilling. Prof Moyo, his deputy Dr Godfrey Gandawa, Zimdef chief executive Mr Frederick Mandizvidza and Zimdef principal director (finance) Mr Nicholas Mapute are expected to appear in court today. The minister — who for long had been denigrating and claiming that ZACC was improperly constituted — handed himself over to the anticorruption body yesterday afternoon and was released into the custody of his lawyer Mr Terrence Hussein last night.
Speaking after the meeting with ZACC officers, Advocate Lewis Uriri, instructed by Mr Hussein, said his client was placed under arrest and released into the hands of his lawyer. “I can confirm that he was invited to assist police and ZACC with investigations. He voluntarily availed himself for that process. He answered questions as put to him and at the end of that process,they immediately decided that they would be arresting, detaining and charging him.”
“The constitutional requirements were complied with. The charges were put to him. He deposed a warned and cautioned statement and thereafter a request was made that he be released to his lawyers and we duly executed an indemnity. As regards when he appears in court that is entirely the discretion of the police,” he said. ZACC spokesperson Mrs Phyllis Chikandura confirmed that Prof Moyo was summoned to their offices to give his statement. “We summoned him here to
give his statement in connection with the allegations he is facing,” said Mrs Chikandura. “He came with his lawyer. We will keep you updated on further developments going forward.” Prof Moyo arrived at ZACC offices at 3pm. According to information at hand, $95 800 was transferred from Zimdef to Wishbone Trading through CABS. Dr Gandawa received $20 000 through his personal Barclays account after which he transferred $19 030 to HIB Rajput PL T/A Ace Cycles Dr Gandawa then transferred $27 550 to SKM Motorcycles for 10 tricycles for Prof Moyo and the balance was withdrawn in cash. It is also now public knowledge that $107 525 was transferred from Zimdef to Fuzzy Technologies’ NMB Bank account, of which $5 745 was transferred to Pridham Investments for Dr Gandawa’s personal furniture. Dr Gandawa also paid for 69 bicycles worth $7 260 for Prof Moyo.
He also transferred $12 900 to Wisebone Trading as capital to finance his personal business and the remainder was withdrawn in cash. The documents further indicate ZACC is investigating a separate case in which Prof Moyo and Dr Gandawa are suspected of getting Zimdef to release 100 000 litres of diesel worth $118 500, fuel which was then diverted to the black market. It is alleged the fuel was requested by the Zimbabwe Youth Council on July 26 for a “skills gap assessment programme. ” Dr Gandawa recommended the allocation and Prof Moyo gave his approval on August 4, 2016.
Prof Moyo, Dr Gandawa, Mr Mandizvidza and Mr Mapute could have unlawfully benefited from $430 000 of the State enterprise’s money between November 2015 and June 2016, documents show. ZACC is investigating other alleged abuses of Zimdef funds by Prof Moyo, his deputy, and three subordinates