BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) has recommended the arrest of police Commissioner Erasmus Makodza for obstructing the course of justice after he allegedly created a fake document showing transaction records purported to be from Econet Zimbabwe.
On Monday, the court was told that Makodza allegedly made the fake document in a desperate attempt to nail a Zacc investigation officer, Eric Chacha, in a case where the top cop is accused of criminal abuse of office.
In his testimony before the courts, Chacha alleged that Makodza approached the public media and lied that he (Chacha) was involved in corrupt deals with businessman Felix Munyaradzi.
Makodza is a complainant in a fraud case against the businessman.
Chacha said Makodza’s allegations forced the anti-graft body to investigate and eventually absolve him of any wrongdoing.
It was during the investigations that it was discovered that the Econet documents were forged.
Makodza is being charged with criminal abuse of office after he allegedly awarded a farming contract to his alleged mistress, Maonei Chapfudza.
“Zacc investigated the allegations and also recommended the arrest of the accused person for defeating the course of justice after the allegations proved to be lies,” Chacha said.
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Makodza’s lawyer Tapiwa Makanza then asked Chacha to explain why he spoke to Munyaradzi on the day he was arrested.
Chacha said Munyaradzi was a complainant in the matter that he was investigating and, therefore, he had to call him.
He told the court that Makodza was getting payments from Chapfudza’s company although he was said to be no longer a director.
Chacha said Makodza was the one who introduced Chapfudza to the committee that awarded her the farming contract at a police farm adding that the top cop had failed to disclose the relationship between him and his girlfriend.
Asked why he recorded a statement from Makodza while alone, Chacha said there was nothing amiss because witnesses can even be asked to write their statements and submit them to the investigating officer.
Magistrate Noel Mupeiwa postponed the matter to today.
Makodza is accused of awarding his girlfriend, Chapfudza, a Zimbabwe Republic Police horticultural project contract in 2019.
He was arrested for the offences which he allegedly committed while he was still the Officer Commanding Mashonaland East province.
He is being charged under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly not revealing his personal interests in the transaction.
Follow Desmond on Twitter @DChingarande1
