The trial of Core Mining director Lovemore Kurotwi and former Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation chief executive officer Dominic Mubaiwa, accused of causing the government to lose a $2 billion investment potential, failed to continue yesterday after the State availed unsigned financial reports pertaining to the two’s joint venture, Canadile Miners.
When the trial was adjourned last week, High Court judge Justice Chinembiri Bhunu ordered Marange Resources, now solely in charge of the project, to produce financial records covering the period when it partnered Core Mining to form Canadile Miners, to date.
But yesterday, as the court was about to sit, chief law officer Chris Mutangadura presented copies of unsigned Canadile Miners financial reports relating to the year 2010 but dated 2012 which the defence team of Advocate Lewis Uriri and Beatrice Mtetwa refused to accept.
Both the defence and the State later proceeded to the judge’s chambers where it was resolved that the trial would proceed tomorrow when the State was expected to provide the signed audited Canadile Miners financial reports.
Former Canadile finance manager Simbisai Wilfred Munemo, who is now Marange Resources finance executive, was not allowed to continue with his testimony last week after the defence raised an objection when he intended to refer to some copies of the financial statements allegedly extracted from Canadile Miners financial records.
Mtetwa and Uriri insisted they wanted a fully audited Canadile Miners financial report, arguing that the government never suffered any prejudice since Core Mining’s assets and equipment were still in Marange’s custody and were being used.
