FORMER public service minister Priscah Mupfumira and the then permanent secretary Ngoni Masoka are expected in court today following developments that their trial has to be recommenced.
This is after the trial magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi was elevated to be a judge of the High Court before the completion of their trial and with the Judicial Services Commission saying a judge cannot sit as a magistrate.
The two are facing allegations of abuse of duty as public officers and corruptly concealing a transaction involving a US$90 000 loan application from NSSA for the purchase of a supposed ministerial vehicle and the flying of ministry officials for Mupfumira’s daughter’s wedding in South Africa.
They were separately in court last week where they were remanded to today.
Allegations against them are that from March to July 2015, Mupfumira knowing she was not a procurement officer used her influence as a minister to verbally instruct Masoka to initiate procurement procedures of obtaining a loan advance from NSSA a parastatal for the purchase of a ministerial vehicle knowing NSSA had no provisions to issue such loans.
Masoka is alleged to have written to NSSA requesting US$90 000 without written treasury approval and the funds were transferred to the ministry.
Mupfumira is alleged to have instructed Memory Mukondomi, the finance director in the ministry to purchase a Toyota land cruiser VX – L200 from Croco Motors as a ministerial vehicle which is not part of her conditions of service. According to her conditions of service she was entitled to a Mercedes Benz E300.
The vehicle was purchased at the instruction of Mupfumira and registered with CMED as a condition of service vehicle. The ministry through Masoka issues a duty free certificate for the vehicle.
It is the state’s Case that they knew that the minister was entitled to a Mercedes and that in March 2015 she had been issued with a Range Rover as part of her conditions of service and that she was not entitled to the Toyota land cruiser.
It is also further alleged that they did not reveal the $90 000 loan transaction to their principal, the office of president and cabinet for the purchase of the Toyota land cruiser as a vehicle for condition of service for the minister.
Mupfumira also stands accused of instructing the finance director to facilitate the payment of air tickets for her aides to attend her daughter’s wedding in South Africa. Masoka is accused to have unlawfully approved the payment.
It is also alleged that they facilitated the payment of accommodation fees and transport which prejudiced the ministry of US$10 215 and ZAR113 539.