Harare City Council housing director, Addmore Nhekairo is now a free man after the State withdrew the criminal abuse of office charges he was facing. Nhekairo (52) was brought to court by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission early this year on allegations of abuse of office when he was housing director at Marondera municipality.
By Everson Mushava
But the State yesterday withdrew the charges for lack of evidence.
Nhekairo’s lawyer, Batanai Pesanai of IEG Musimbe and Partners Legal Practioners, confirmed the development.
“The State has withdrawn charges for lack of evidence,” he said.
Magistrate Tilda Mazhande presided over the matter.
Nhekairo was being accused of allocating 18 residential stands to his mother-in-law and other relatives without council approval, contravening municipal procedures and prejudicing Marondera municipality of $33 650 as the residential stands were not paid for by the beneficiaries.
Nhekairo was also accused of concealing from his principal a personal interest in the transaction, apart from corruptly selling 10 hectares of gum poles from the local authority’s Hunyani Farm to a private company in 2012.
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He was further accused of owning several properties, but investigations later showed the stand numbers presented to the anti-graft body as having been corruptly acquired by the accused were, in fact, non-existent.