Story by Peter Chivhima
The Supreme Court has dismissed the National Prosecuting Authority’s appeal against former Gokwe Nembudziya legislator Justice Mayor Wadyadyena.
Wadyajena was being jointly charged together with his company, Mayor Logistics on allegations of fraud and money laundering.
However in May this year, the former legislator was given back his property after the High Court found no reason to keep them but the matter spilled to the Supreme Court with the National Prosecuting Authority arguing that it was not fit for Wadyajena to get his property back.
This Monday the Supreme Court ruled that the appeal by the National Prosecuting Authority is void of any merit.
“Our clients always maintained that they are innocent and it has been always clear that there was no case against them. They always made clear that the property belonged to them and they legally acquired them. We approached the courts several times for the state to give us a trial date but there was nothing. So it means our clients are off the hook,” said lawyer, Mr Oliver Marwa.
In another case, the Prosecutor General has lodged an appeal with the High Court against the sentencing of four Cameroon internationals who were recently convicted by the Beitbridge Magistrates’ Court for contravening the Immigration Act.
The quartet of Christiana Byombe Duma Ebako, Muya Muya Emile, Tegha Marvel Ngei and Nnam Yvette Kum pleaded guilty to the charges and were sentenced to a caution and discharge.
However, in a statement released by the National Prosecuting Authority, the state is arguing against the sentence saying it does not meet the justice of the case.
The quartet was intercepted at Beitbridge border post by Immigration Officers who asked them to produce their travel documents before producing Zimbabwean passports bearing their first names and photographs.
The case also led to the arrest of 12 employees in the Registrar General’s office in Harare who have since appeared before the Harare Magistrates’ Court.
Elsewhere, former Chegutu West legislator, Dexter Nduna has been remanded in custody in a case he is facing fraud charges.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, Nduna aged 53 appeared at the Chegutu magistrates court this Monday facing fraud charges.
Allegations are that sometime this month, Nduna misrepresented to two motorists that he was collecting parking fees on behalf of the municipality of Chegutu.
He is expected back at Chegutu Magistrates Court this Tuesday for bail ruling.
