MDC-T Pumula MP Albert Mhlanga (43) yesterday appeared in court facing charges of abusing the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocations.
Clad in a designer black suit, Mhlanga looked composed in the dock but was not asked to plead to theft and abuse of office charges when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Shepherd Mjanja.He was remanded out of custody to March 15 on $400 bail accompanied by stringent conditions.
His lawyer, Liberty Mcijo from Lazarus and Sarif, applied for bail on his behalf which was not opposed by the State, represented by Masimba Saruwaka. It is alleged that between December 2 2010 and February 28 last year, Mhlanga transferred $32 147 into Bulawayo Plumbers Suppliers, a company which he and his wife owned, claiming the firm had supplied goods to the constituency, when it did not.
Mhlanga also transferred an additional $9 000 into Alex Plumbers and another $2 000 into Silversharps, a firm reportedly owned by his friends. The court heard the MP also failed to account for $7 680.
His arraignment came after Zanu PF Magunje MP Franco Ndambakuwa appeared in court on Wednesday, facing two counts of fraud and three of theft involving $49 000 meant for CDF.
