Zvikomborero Parafini, Court Reporter
The State yesterday indicated that it was ready to try former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation CEO Patrick Mavhura and his alleged accomplices following receipt of the full dockets and finalisation of investigations.
On the first count, Mavhura is being co-charged with Benania Shumba, 51, while on the second count the duo is being charged together with Stephen Kundishora, 51, who are all ZBC former employees.
The matters were deferred to 22 January and 28 January respectively for furnishing of trial date as they are currently perusing the dockets.
Allegations on the first count are that acting ZBC CEO Wisdom Hombarume asked acting chief finance officer Maxwell Judah to give him a report on the state of the broadcaster’s finances.
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Hombarume allegedly discovered that Mavhura and Shumba had siphoned money paid by Totalmedia and Adrenalin advertising agencies.
On December 12 last year, the duo signed two separate contracts with Total Media, who made an advance payment of US$100 000.
It was agreed that ZBC would in turn supply value-added advertising airtime amounting to US$149 500 to Total Media.
On January 19 this year, Shumba allegedly wrote to Total Media asking the agency to deposit the funds into a Mugiya and Macharaga Law Chambers Ecobank trust account instead of a ZBC account.
The cash was later withdrawn and used to purchase Mavhura’s residential stand at number 98 William Pollet Road, Philadelphia, Borrowdale in Harare.
Another charge is that on February 1, Shumba and Mavhura signed a similar contract with Adrenalin, who made an advance payment of US$100 000.
On the same day, it is alleged, Shumba again originated a letter directing the firm to deposit the cash into the lawyer’s trust account from where it was again withdrawn.
On the second count the state alleged that on August 17 last year, Shumba knowing that a board of survey should have been set up wrote a memorandum to Mavhura seeking approval to purchase her personal issued car a Mazda BT50.
The board of survey should have been set up to achieve a maximum financial return for the disposal of the ZBC vehicle approved the purchase of the vehicle by Shumba at Net book value of zero cost instead of US$11 000.
On August 22 last year Kundishora then wrote a letter to Central Vehicle Registry authorizing them to effect a change of ownership to the vehicle from ZBC name to Shumba’s name.
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On September 1 this year, Wisdom Hombarume was appointed as the Acting CEO for ZBC and called for a report of financial state of affairs at the parastatal after which he discovered that the trio had connived to dispose a Mazda BT50 without going to process of a Board of Survey and approval of the ZBC.
Lancelot Mutsokoti appeared for the State.
– HMETRO