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Lovemore Meya Court Correspondent
Suspended Chitungwiza mayor Phillip Mutoti and town Clerk George Makunde have indicated their intention to apply for discharge at the close of the State case.

Mutoti and Makunde are jointly charged with former housing director Kennedy Dube on charges of fraud or alternatively criminal abuse of duty as public officers. The trio on Tuesday appeared before Chitungwiza resident magistrate Mr Francis Mapfumo who remanded them to October 17. This was after Mutoti allegedly sought permission from Makunde to illegally acquire a residential stand for his son who was three-years-old then.

Dube allegedly assisted Mutoti to acquire the stand. The trio through their lawyers indicated their intention to apply for discharge after the prosecutor, Mrs Tafadzwa Makwande, had led the State’s last witness, Mr Charles Jele. Mr Jele told the court that he bought the stand, but did not know any of the accused persons.

“I acquired the stand from one Audias whom I paid $5 000 in instalments and he gave me an offer letter in the name of Nathan Mutoti. The offer letter was later changed into my name and I do not know any of the accused persons since I conducted the transaction with someone,” he said.

The lawyers are going to submit their written submissions on October 10, while Mrs Makwande will respond on the 13th with the magistrate making a ruling on the 17th. Allegations are that on July 2, 2015, Mutoti made an application to Dube for a residential stand measuring 200 square metres on behalf of his son. Makunde allegedly gave the green light for Mutoti to apply for the stand, even though his son was not on the waiting list. Dube processed the papers and later Mutoti sold the stand to another person. The matter was reported to the police leading to their arrest.