FORMER Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) chief executive officer (CEO) Patrick Mavhura was Tuesday granted $5 000 bail after languishing in jail for four days.<\/p>\n
He is jointly charged with former ZBC head finance, administration and human resources, Benania Shumba who was also freed on $5 000 bail.<\/p>\n
The State alleges that the two connived to swindle the broadcaster out of over US$250 000 and Mavhura is likely to be charged with eighteen more counts.<\/p>\n
Harare magistrate, Vongai Guuriro Muchuchuti ruled that stringent reporting conditions can allay state\u2019s fears that the two were likely to abscond.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth accused persons are ordered to report twice a week at their nearest police stations and not to interfere with witnesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are also ordered to surrender their passports with the clerk of court and to come back to court on October 8,\u201d said Muchuchuti.<\/p>\n
The State had opposed bail on grounds that there was overwhelming evidence against the two.<\/p>\n
Investigating officer, John Mvundura said Mavhura was likely to interfere with witnesses who were his subordinates.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore cases have been reported against Mavhura, about 18 cases which involve large sums of money. One of those involves 180,000 Euros and another US$18,000. If released on bail, he may flee the jurisdiction of this court,\u201d Mvundura said.<\/p>\n
According to the state, on September 1, acting ZBC CEO Wisdom Hombarume asked acting chief finance officer Maxwell Judah to give him a report on the state of the broadcaster\u2019s finances.<\/p>\n
Hombarume allegedly discovered that Mavhura and Shumba had siphoned money paid by Totalmedia and Adrenalin advertising agencies.<\/p>\n
On December 12 last year, the duo signed two separate contracts with Totalmedia, who made an advance payment of US$100 000.<\/p>\n
It was agreed that ZBC would in turn supply value-added advertising airtime amounting to US$149 500 to Totalmedia.<\/p>\n
On January 19 this year, Shumba allegedly wrote to Totalmedia asking the agency to deposit the funds into a Mugiya and Macharaga Law Chambers Ecobank trust account instead of a ZBC account.<\/p>\n
The court heard the money was later withdrawn and used to purchase Mavhura\u2019s residential stand at number 98 William Pollet Road, Philadelphia, Borrowdale in Harare.<\/p>\n
Another charge is that on February 1, Shumba and Mavhura signed a similar contract with Adrenalin, who made an advance payment of US$100 000.<\/p>\n
On the same day, it is alleged, Shumba again originated a letter directing the firm to deposit the cash into the lawyer\u2019s trust account from where it was again withdrawn.<\/p>\n
Mavhura and Shumba will be back in court on October 8.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FORMER Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) chief executive officer (CEO) Patrick Mavhura was Tuesday granted $5 000 bail after languishing in jail for four days. He is jointly charged with former ZBC head finance, administration and human resources, Benania Shumba who was also freed on $5 000 bail. The State alleges that the two connived to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":13381,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,9],"tags":[842,657,804],"class_list":{"0":"post-13735","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-miscellaneous","9":"tag-ceo","10":"tag-high-court","11":"tag-zbc"},"yoast_head":"\n