FORMER Cabinet Minister Ignatius Chombo yesterday walked out of the Harare Magistrates Court a happy man after the State withdrew charges of misappropriating a $14 billion Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe capital expenditure loan, which was meant for purchasing farm equipment.
Chombo was being charged with fraud and criminal abuse of duty as a public officer.
The charges were withdrawn before plea when he appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje.
Chombo was alleged to have misappropriated the loan he acquired under the RBZ’s other crops and livestock loan facility extended to him between October 2005 and January 2006.
The State led by Mr Kennedy Madekutsikwa, in withdrawing the charges, said investigations revealed that he used the money as per the loan requirements.
Circumstances leading to his arrest and subsequent court appearance was that during the period extending from October 1, 2005 to January 12, 2006, Chombo had allegedly unlawfully and with the intent to defraud the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe misrepresented that he was applying for a capital expenditure loan under the other crops and livestock support facility for the purpose of acquiring farm equipment.
Chombo in his application allegedly indicated that he wanted to repay the loan within 18 months.
He is said to have misrepresented that he would use the loan to buy agricultural equipment, which included a 30-tonne lorry valued at $2 billion, 30-tonne truck valued at $1,5 billion, 200hp tractor four-wheel-drive valued at $2,5 billion, combine harvester valued at $5 billion, 52-dish roam disc valued at $1 billion, nine-row monosem planter valued at $1,2 billion, 2x500kg chicken feed mixer valued at $8 million.
Chombo allegedly knew that he intended to use the money for other purposes.
Acting on the misrepresentation, RBZ processed and issued Chombo a loan amounting to $14 billion for the purpose of acquiring the farm equipment.
Chombo was alleged to have used the money to purchase two Toyota Hilux Vigo, thereby causing prejudice to the good administration of the other crops and livestock support facility.
One of the cars was said to have been given to Pokello Nare.
On the other count, the court was told that between September 2, 2006 to March 25, 2008, and at the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Chombo, who at the material time was the minister and as such a public officer, who took an oath to uphold the Constitution and all other laws of Zimbabwe for the good management of the public affairs of Zimbabwe and perform the duties of the office faithfully, unlawfully and intentionally acted contrary to or inconsistently with his duties.
He allegedly corruptly acquired from City of Harare a property, namely subdivision 61 Helensvale, Harare, knowing that the council had applied for change of use from a public place to space for cluster houses and registered it under Harvest-Net Enterprises (Private) Limited, a company he owned, thereby showing favour to the company and disfavour to City of Harare. – The Herald
