Appearing before Chitungwiza resident magistrate Mr Francis Mapfumo, suspended mayor Philip Mutoti was accused of buying a stand for his son Nathan who was only 3 on July 2, 2015. The complainant in the matter is the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing represented by its Permanent Secretary, Engineer George Mlilo.
Former acting housing director Kennedy Dube and town clerk George Makunde also appeared in court for giving Mutoti authority to buy the stand for his son who was not on the waiting list. The three are charged with fraud or alternatively criminal abuse of duty as public officers and were not asked to plead to the charges. They were remanded to August 3 for trial after their lawyers requested for a postponement of the matter to prepare the defence.
The court heard that on July 2, 2015, Mutoti made an application to Dube for a residential stand measuring 200 square metres on behalf of his son Nathan who was then three years old. Makunde allegedly approved Mutoti’s request for a stand, even though his son was not on the waiting list. Mutoti allegedly lied that Nathan was self-employed and he was allocated stand number 26008 in Unit C, Chitungwiza ahead of 7 216 applicants on the waiting list. Mutoti later sold the stand to Patience Tandiwe Chimbwe.
More: Herald
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