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Herald Reporter

Suspended Police Commissioner Erusmas Makodza on Thursday told the court that his boss, Police Commissioner General Godwin Matanga was surprised by his arrest over a farming investment partnership agreement entered between police and her former lover during the time he was heading Mashonaland East province.

Comm Makodza said his boss Commissioner General Matanga told him that he was impressed by the investment projects that he initiated at a police farm in Mashonaland East during the time he was commanding the province.

He said Commissioner General Matanga’s remarks proved why there were no complaints from the police over the partnership entered between his ex-lover Maonei Chapfudza and the police.

Comm Makodza said Commissioner General Matanga’s sentiments were in agreement with deputy Commissioner General Lorraine Chipato’s refutation of being a complainant in the matter when she testified as a State witness.

He said this while testifying during his defence case on charges of corruptly concealing a transaction from a principal.

“I disclosed my relationship with Maonei Chapfudza to my deputies and provincial police intelligence.

“Recently, I met Commissioner General Matanga who said he was shocked by my arrest.

“He said he was happy with the projects in Mash East and that is why there is no complaint from the police.

“Deputy Commissioner General Chipato said she was not a complainant in this case when she testified because she knew that police are not complaining about anything.

“In fact, Deputy Comm-Gen Chipato lied to the court that she served for 25 years in the police force, she served for 40 years. I remember she joined in 1980.

“I have served the police force for 31 years and when I joined the police she was already serving. How then a court can trust her evidence with such lies,” he said.

Comm Makodza said the only truth that Deputy Com-Gen Chipato said was that his matter was supposed to have been dealt with adminsitravely.

He also attacked the conduct of the investigations officer in the matter, Eric Chacha, who he said was compromised and had personal interests in the case.

Comm Makodza accused Chacha of lying when he testified against him.

“The investigating officer did a shoddy job. He was told by witnesses that they  held meetings and he deliberately left the minutes of those meetings.

“The investigating officer was informed that Police Headquarters was involved in and did not interview the national projects coordinators.

“I dont know whether it was incompetency, corruption or lack of experience. An investigating officer should not be on a fault finding mission, it must be done transparently,” he said.

Comm Makodza said Chacha cherry-picked information from people he interviewed during investigations, especially those who incriminated him.

“The manner he presented himself when testifying shows he was struggling to say how I was involved.

“He had personal interests. He gave conflicting evidence right through his evidence.

“The court should know that I am a complainant in a matter involving Eric Chacha and Felix Munyaradzi.

“When I was arrested, Chacha was communicating with Munyaradzi. We have such criminals, who are abusing the criminal justice system.

“It is eight months without me going to work.

“I urge the court to take a holistic approach or helicopter view so that we are not led by criminals,” he said.

Comm Makodza told the court that he conducted his own investigations and established that Chacha’s wife was involved in financial transactions with Munyaradzi.

He also denied being involved in the process that led to his former lover entering into an investment partnership with the police and also denied ever signing the agreement in question.

Comm Makodza said he was not involved in the crafting of the joint venture agreement and never influenced the selecting committee.

He denied benefiting from the joint venture partnership indicating that the police was the ultimate beneficiary from the joint venture.

He also insisted that he disclosed his interest with Maonei Chapfudza to his deputies.

Comm Makodza told the court that he resigned from Chapfudza’s company in 2017 as a director.

He said the money he received from the Chapfudza’s company, Jerial Enterprises, were repayments from money they had borrowed from his companies as capital.

The matter continues on December 3 with Comm Makodza testifying.