HIGHLANDERS striker Knox Mutizwa was invited for an interview by Zifa lawyers yesterday in the football match-fixing probe where they sought to establish if he could be used as a witness.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
It was, however, established that Mutizwa was irrelevant to the case which has already seen coaches and officials appear in court.
Former Zifa chief executive officer Henrietta Rushwaya, as well as ex-executive committee member Edzai Kasinauyo and suspended Hwange coach Nation Dube have all appeared before the magistrates’ court charged with fraud and bribery.
It is alleged that the trio is part of a cartel that planned to manipulate the outcome of the Warriors’ Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) 2017 qualifiers against Swaziland.
Mutizwa played in Bosso’s 1-1 draw against Bulawayo City on Sunday before travelling to Harare for the interview.
Zifa lawyer Itai Ndudzo said after talking to the player yesterday, it was established that he was irrelevant to the case.
“He was invited for interviews on the basis that he would be used as a witness in the match-fixing cases,” Ndudzo said. “But after the interview, it became clear that he is irrelevant to the proceedings and he has returned to Bulawayo.”
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Zifa is investigating the possibility that the Warriors’ African Nations Championships (Chan) matches in January were fixed and that former Warriors’ assistant coach Dube was allegedly co-ordinating the scam in Rwanda.
Mutizwa was part of the Warriors’ Chan squad in Rwanda, but did not take part in the Afcon qualifiers against Swaziland.
Zifa claim to hold evidence in the form of e-mails, text and WhatsApp messages as well as voice recordings and pictures to buttress their claims.
Rushwaya, Dube and Kasinauyo are alleged to have worked with former Warriors coach Ian Gorowa, former Zifa programmes officer Jonathan Musavengana and player agent Kudzi Shaba.
Rushwaya declined to appear before a Zifa disciplinary committee, arguing that the mother body had no right to charge her since she was not their employee.
