Nyore Madzianike
Senior Court Reporter
Former Cabinet minister Prisca Mupfumira had a bad day in court yesterday after her application to have her reporting conditions relaxed was thrown out because the lower court has no jurisdiction to alter them.
Mupfumira made the application last week through her lawyer advocate Sylvester Hashiti.
She wanted her bail reporting conditions to be reduced from twice a week to once a month on the basis of her health condition.
The State led Mr Michael Reza opposed the application saying Mupfumira was supposed to return back to the High Court where she was granted bail.
In his ruling magistrate Mr Ngoni Nduna said he had no jurisdiction to alter Mupfumira’s bail conditions as they were imposed by an upper court.
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“This court had no jurisdiction to alter the bail conditions imposed by an upper court. I will therefore dismiss this application for want of jurisdiction,” said Mr Nduna.
Mupfumira is facing a number of allegations where she is separately jointly charged with former secretary for Public Service Commission Ngoni Masoka and NSSA ex-director contribution and collections officer, Barnabas Matongera on criminal abuse of office charges.
She is jointly charged with Masoka for allegedly concealing a transaction from a principal involving a US$90 000 debt they got from NSSA and reportedly purchased a Land Cruiser VX-L 200 series instead of a Mercedes Benz.
They also reportedly ordered for the purchase of air tickets worth US$10 215 to attend a relative’s wedding in South Africa and paying accommodation worth R113 559 without approval.
Mupfumira is also jointly charged with National Social Security Authority ex-director contribution and collections officer, Barnabas Matongera, for awarding a local land development company to construct low housing units in Gweru without the authority’s board approval and following due tender processes. The money was allegedly paid to Drawcard Enterprises with NSSA alleged to have committed US$6,5 million towards construction of 1 000 low cost houses in Gweru urban.
Mupfumira and Matongera will be tried on November 18, 19 and 20.
– HERALD
