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Yeukai Karengezeka Court Correspondent

The Deputy Director of Roads Services in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Enerst Shenje who allegedly made a fraudulent compensation claim for a property affected by the construction of the Mbudzi Interchange in Harare, appeared in court on Saturday and was remanded in custody.

Shenje who is being charged with fraud appeared before Harare Regional Magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei.

Through his lawyer, Mr Admire Rubaya Shenje challenged placement on remand and Mr Ndirowei is expected to give his ruling today.

The complainant is the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development.

The State prosecutor Ms Ethel Mahachi alleged that sometime in 2021, the Government through the Ministry embarked on a project to construct a multi-level interchange at Mbudzi roundabout which is at the intersection of Simon Mazorodze, Chitungwiza and High Glen roads

The project affected 135 residential, industrial and commercial properties around the Mbudzi roundabout.

Resultantly, the Government set up a fund to compensate the affected property owners after a valuation process.

The court heard that sometime in 2022, the Ministry decided to value properties that were going to be affected by the construction of the Mbudzi Interchange.

Subdivision A of subdivision B of Delft of Hopely held under the Title Deed of one Geoffrey Bannister was one of the properties that were affected.

When compensation was due to be given for the above-mentioned property, Shenje allegedly connived with Levy Idana who is still at large and other individuals, yet to be accounted for, to forge an agreement of sale using an old title deed with the name of John Maloney, predecessor in title to Geoffrey Bannister purporting that Idana had purchased the property and was now the one due to be compensated.

Idana went on to submit the fraudulent agreement of sale and the old title deed to Shenje, who in turn proceeded to fast-track the paperwork for payment of the compensation.

On December 8 and 28, Idana received USD 100 000 respectively from the Treasury under the instruction of the Ministry of Transport to make a total of USD 200 000.

Due to this misrepresentation by Shenje, the ministry suffered an actual prejudice of US$200 000 and a potential prejudice of US$ USD803 417.

Shenje was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission.