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‘Foes out to tarnish my image’

News
Kwekwe MDC-T councillor Johannes Ngozo, who is battling to clear his name in court on allegations of defrauding desperate home-seekers of over $10 000, has accused his political foes of concocting the charges to scuttle his rising political star. Ngozo is alleged to have defrauded home-seekers of large sums of money after promising to use […]

Kwekwe MDC-T councillor Johannes Ngozo, who is battling to clear his name in court on allegations of defrauding desperate home-seekers of over $10 000, has accused his political foes of concocting the charges to scuttle his rising political star.

Ngozo is alleged to have defrauded home-seekers of large sums of money after promising to use council links to secure them residential stands.

Through his lawyer Valentine Mutatu, Ngozo last Friday told the court that the State witness Gibson Maphosa was being used by some MDC-T politicians to destroy his image and scuttle his ambitions to challenge incumbent Mbizo MP Settlement Chikwinya in the next parliamentary elections.

“You are being used by Ngozo’s political foes so that his ambition to represent the MDC-T in the Mbizo constituency in the next elections is thwarted,” Mutatu said. However, Maphosa dismissed Ngozo’s claims saying he was not associated with any political party or factions in the MDC-T, but was “just one person tired of staying in rented accommodation”.

“This is not political. All I wanted was a residential stand. This has nothing to do with politics because I do not belong to any political party and have no knowledge of the factions in the MDC-T,” Maphosa said.

Mutatu would have none of it and went further to accuse MDC-T councillor Aaron Gwalazimba of being the main actor in “weaving” the allegations against Ngozo.

“You were used by Gwalazimba who came to your workplace and discussed this case with you. You reported this case because of Gwalazimba,” Mutatu claimed.

The trial continues on July 16.

Brian Mzemba appeared for the State.