- Prisca Mupfumira and Ngoni Masoka trial set for February 5 and 6
- State to give outstanding documents to defence councils on January 24
HARARE Magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi on Thursday set February 5 and 6 as the trial dates for former Minister of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Prisca Mupfumira and former Secretary for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Ngoni Masoka.
Mupfumira and Masoka’s defence councils had asked the state to give them audit financial statements, cabinet handbook and a document which gives the rules cabinet ministers should follow.
They had said in the previous session that these documents were important for them to commence with the trial.
The state which was represented by Clemence Chimbare confirmed that it gave these documents to accused persons’ lawyers this morning whereas they were supposed to do so on January 1.
Thus they could not start the trial today.
Mupfumira’s representative, advocate Thembinkosi Magwaliba, however, told the court that they were not given all the documents they had asked for.
Magwaliba said they were provided with an annual report of 2015 and nothing for 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Magwaliba said they still need the missing reports.
State concluded that it would give the defence councils the missing cabinet handbook which was used during the time Mupfumira was a minister, circular number 4, 2010 and other outstanding documents on January 24.
Mupfumira and Masoka are facing charges of criminal abuse of office and money laundering after they allegedly schemed with a local bank to swindle the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) of millions of dollars.
The two accused also made applications for variation of reporting conditions.
