A HARARE court is set to go for an inspection-in-loco at the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) on September 18 in a case where former Zanu PF MP for Highfield, Psychology Maziwisa, and television personality Oscar Pambuka are facing fraud charges.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Maziwisa and Pambuka’s lawyer Jonathan Samkange had applied for inspection-in-loco after the ZBC manager and State witness Moses Charedzera told the court that the information requested by the accused person was privileged company information that could be availed by a court order.
Samkange had requested the State to provide them with a disc of programmes screened by the ZBC on the dates in question, which Maziwisa and Pambuka claim were done for the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC).
But Charedzera denied that no news story for the period February 16 and 22, 2016 were invoiced for a programme titled Media Watch, Kariba Water Levels and news bulletins.
Charedzera’s testimony is different from the ZPC public relations executive Fadzai Chisveto, who told the court in former Energy minister Samuel Undenge’s case that they paid Maziwisa and Pambuka after being satisfied with the job they had done on ZBC programmes.
Allegations are that in January last year, Maziwisa and Pambuka allegedly brought a letter to ZPC from Undenge directing the energy firm to work with Fruitful Communications.
It is alleged during the same month, the pair entered into a verbal agreement with ZPC to do publicity work. ZPC was represented by managing director Noah Gwariro and Chisveto. The State alleged that on February 12 last year, Maziwisa and Pambuka, through their company, hosted a ZimAsset conference at Meikles Hotel, where Undenge was the guest of honour and ZBC covered the event.
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The State alleges on March 8 last year, the pair unlawfully and with intent to defraud brought an invoice to the ZPC and presented it to Chisveto.
The court heard that the pair, through their company, falsely claimed to have conducted campaigns from January 15 to February 15 last year, a Press conference on power projects in Kariba, Hwange and Batoka and to have paid ZBC for the campaigns.
The prosecution said Maziwisa and Pambuka misrepresented to Chisveto that Fruitful Communications had caused the work listed and charged ZPC $12 650.
The State also alleged that on May 5 last year, the two, using the same method, raised an invoice to ZPC amounting to $36 000, but ZPC allegedly discovered that no work had been carried out and declined to pay.
