BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
PROMINENT Chitungwiza land baron Frederick Mabamba appeared in court yesterday facing fraud allegations after he illegally sold State land.
Mabamba (60), who appeared before Harare magistrate Stanford Mambanje, was remanded to today for bail ruling.
He is facing 15 counts of fraud involving US$13 724 000 and $875 040 000 000.
Allegations are that sometime from 1999 to date, Mabamba who was then a Zanu PF councillor for Chitungwiza and held the position of deputy mayor illegally parcelled out State land for his own benefit, prejudicing land seekers of large amounts of money.
It is alleged that Mabamba, without Chitungwiza Town Council authority, illegally created 200 residential stands valued at US$3 000 each.
He then parcelled out the stands to homeseekers at a value of US$600 000.
Using the same modus operandi, Mabamba sold residential stands worth US$1 058 000. Mabamba created another 57 residential stands and pocketed US$171 000 and most beneficiaries were not given offer letters by Chitungwiza Town Council.
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Mabamba also created 400 residential stands valued at US$1 090 000 without council approval and pocketed the money.
He also created two car sale stands worth US$44 000 and pocketed the money.
It is alleged that Mabamba went on to create another 3 159 residential stands and pocketed the money.
Mabamba, however, told magistrate Mambanje that he was a proper candidate for bail as some of the cases were being dealt with by other courts.
But the State represented by Audrey Chogumaira opposed bail, saying Mabamba must not be given bail as the investigations of the matter were still pending.
Follow Desmond on Twitter @DChingarande1
