HARARE – Court 14 resembled a funeral on Monday afternoon as family members wailed loudly after six suspects including Prosper Bizwork who allegedly forged title deeds and illegally sold former Cabinet Minister Dzingai Mutumbuka’s Chisipite mansion were denied bail by Harare Regional Magistrate Donald Ndirowei.
This time Bizwork (48) and five others applied for bail in another case in which they forged documents for property number 589 Rietfontein Township Lot 5 in Borrowdale, Harare which they sold for US$92 000 against a market value of US$400 000.
Family members who least expected wailed loudly after Magistrate Ndirowei pronounced his bail decision.
Ndirowei said in his bail ruling that the State has a strong case against all the six. He said that the accused could not distance themselves from the evidence placed before the court by the investigating officer, Eric Chacha of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZAAC), particularly the forged identity documents, the agreement of sale and acknowledgement of receipt of funds.
In the case of Bizwork, he said that the accused had a pending similar case and his release could see him absconding or even committing new crimes.
“Once such evidence is produced, heads naturally turn towards the accused persons to rebut such or at least to give plausible or probable defence to the allegations.
“From the submissions by the counsel for the accused persons, no submissions were made to explain or to distance the accused persons from the evidence produced by the State i.e. the forged identity documents, acknowledgement of receipt of funds and sale agreement,” said Magistrate Ndirowei.
He said that in coming to his decision, he made a careful balance between the interests of justice and the accused fundamental right to liberty as protected by the Constitution.
Some of the lawyers who represented the accused persons were Enock Nengomasha of Zuze and Chambers, Mushayi M Makoni of Mandizha and Company and Eric Simbarashe of Absolom and Shephard Chambers. – Masvingo Mirror
