PINNACLE Baptist Assemblies Church leader Pastor Herman Chimusoro was yesterday remanded in custody to January 16 next year over a $192 000 theft charge involving music instruments.
PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI,SENIOR REPORTER
Earlier on, Chimusoro who is the director of Crossline and Video company, had applied for the case to be treated as a civil matter but Harare magistrate Donald Ndirowei ruled that the issue was criminal.
The pastor is being charged with theft of trust property after he allegedly collected money from police on the understanding that he would supply the law enforcement agency with musical instruments.
For the State, prosecutor Sharon Mashavira alleged that the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) represented by Chief Inspector Marange of the Staff College, struck a deal in which Chimusoro was supposed to supply music instruments and equipment on behalf of the police.
Chimusoro allegedly promised to import the instruments from Italy at $192 000. The court heard that between July and September this year, police efforts to get the instruments from Chimusoro were fruitless.
Mashavira said Chimusoro supplied eight speakers to the police as part of the deal, but the latter reportedly returned the property on December 10 insisting that the equipment be supplied in full.
The court heard that Chimusoro told the police that he had used the money for other purposes, prompting the police to lodge a complaint against him. He was arrested and charged with theft of trust property.
