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Court Reporter

THREE former senior prison officers at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, who were facing charges of receiving $10 500 from a chicken project run by correctional services without telling their superiors were removed from remand after the State failed to call all its witnesses for trial.

Former Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison officer-in-charge Nobert Chomurenga and his then juniors, Cephas Chiparausha and Tonderai Mutiwaringa might return to court by way of summons.

The three, who were being charged with fraud, were removed from remand by magistrate Mr Amos Mbobo after their lawyer Oscar Gasva, made an application for their removal from further remand.

In their application, the three argued that they could not continuously attend court when the State was not ready.

The prosecutor, Mr Ephraim Zinyandu, had indicated that he was failing to get hold of his witnesses to testify in court.

They denied the charges saying their actions were known by their superiors.

Chomurenga, Chiparausha and Mutiwaringa told the court that all their actions had Commissioner-General Paradzai Zimondi’s blessings.

In December 2017, Mutiwaringa, who took over as officer-in-charge after the promotion and transfer of Chomurenga, received $2 252 from Chiparausha through his EcoCash account as proceeds from the project.

“The Commissioner General was fully briefed and was aware of the poultry project between Chikurubi Maximum Prison and Humanity Earth Trust,” they said in their defence.

“He was personally aware of the project as he visited and inspected the project when he toured Chikurubi Maximum Prison on several occasions when accused 1 (Chomurenga) was officer-in-charge and officer commanding Harare Metropolitan Province.

“The poultry project was the brainchild of the Commissioner General and Humanity Earth Africa Trust and through Munyaradzi Kereke, who assisted Zimbabwe Prisons Service Commission with various                                           projects.”

Allegations are that on September 25, 2017, Chomurenga and Chiparausha, who were acting in connivance with Mutiwaringa, entered into a memorandum of understanding with Humanity Earth Trust, which has links with jailed rapist Munyaradzi Kereke, in their personal capacities.

It is alleged that from September 25, 2017 to August 2018, Humanity Earth Trust provided a total of 3 000 birds, feed, medicines and other sanitary requirements for the chicken-rearing project.