By Simbarashe Sithole (Bindura)
LAWYERS representing three Mvurwi Town Council officials who allegedly stole 32 stands valued at more than ZWL$18 million which they sold to desperate stand seekers while issuing fake receipt failed to show up at Bindura magistrates courts today for trial.
Town Secretary Sheri Nyakudya (57), Housing and Community Services officer Letwin Watambwa (55) and housing clerk Simbarashe Kambare (45) are represented by different lawyers who failed to turn up in court for different reasons.
The matter, in which the three accused persons are facing fraud charges, was further postponed to May 24.
Guruve magistrate Geraldine Mutsotso heard that on October 3,2018 Mvurwi Town Council held a full council meeting and resolved to suspend the selling of stands.
It was alleged that between October 10 ,2018 and June 2021, the trio hatched a plan to steal money for residential stands from Mvurwi Town Council.
They would look for desperate stand seekers in Mvurwi and misrepresent to them that they were selling their own residential stands.
The other accused person who is still at large, a nephew to Nyakudya, Sydney Chihombe (37) who is generated fake receipts for the stand seekers.
Watambwa recommended approval of lease documents, which was approved by Nyakudya, appending their signatures.
An internal audit was reportedly carried out on December 3 last year and proved that the council was prejudiced a total of ZWL$ 18 795 956.
Meanwhile,Mazowe Rural District Council suspended 11 workers recently on graft allegations but they were not prosecuted dispite Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) investigations report.
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