BY MIRIAM MANGWAYA
HARARE mayor Jacob Mafume yesterday appeared before magistrate Ngoni Nduna on allegations of obstructing or defeating the course of justice after he allegedly attempted to bribe a witness.
Mafume allegedly offered to pay US$1 500 to Edgar Dzehonye, a key witness in the case in which he is being accused of parcelling out land, so that he testifies in his favour in court.
He was arrested for the offence four days after he had been released on $30 000 bail at the High Court and as part of the conditions was ordered not interfere with witnesses.
The mayor, who was represented by lawyers Advocate Thabani Mpofu and Tonderal Bhatasara, was not asked to plead but was remanded in custody to today where Nduna will make a ruling on his bail application.
The State led by prosecutor Constance Ngombengombe opposed bail, arguing that he was likely to abscond trial or interfere with State witnesses as he had already done.
The State alleges that Mafume violated his bail conditions and contacted Dzehonye, through a WhatsApp voice call, requesting him to meet him and discuss his criminal case before the courts.
On December 13, 2020, the two met at Mega II Leisure Centre but changed the venue after Mafume told the witness that the place was overcrowded.
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They later met at Avondale Shopping centre around 5pm where Mafume persuaded Dzehonye to testify in his favour.
He told Dzehonye that he had also spoken to another witness in the matter, Addmore Nhekairo and that he had agreed to testify in his favour and had also apologised for agreeing to stand against him in court.
They met the following day at Strathaven Shopping Centre and Mafume continued to pester Dzehonye to testify in his favour but was arrested by the police who had received a tip off.
But in his bail application, Mafume through his lawyer, denied the charges and disown the cellphone number which police stated he used to call Dzehonye.
