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Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent

The trial of former Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko on criminal abuse of office charges has been further deferred to August 31 following indications that the presiding magistrate Mr Trynose Utahwashe was not available.

Prosecutor Mr Lovack Masuku told Harare magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje that he had agreed with Mr Utahwashe to postpone the trial.

It is the State’s case that Mphoko allegedly instructed junior officers at Avondale Police Station in Harare to release former Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) acting chief executive Moses Juma and former board member Davison Norupiri, who was Zinara’s finance committee chairperson, from the cells.

According to the State’s papers, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission received a case in which Juma and Norupiri were being accused of fraud and criminal abuse of office on May 6, 2016.

Investigations resulted in the arrest of the two for criminal abuse of office and were detained at Avondale Police Station.