HARARE – Former Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo has been re-arrested, this time charged with corruptly selling a government property in Mutare to a former Zanu PF MP.

Chombo was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Babra Mateko on Thursday.

The magistrate released him on free bail and will be back in court on September 4.

Chombo, currently facing trial on unrelated corruption charges relating to the sale of stands while he was in office, is jointly charged with the former director of valuations and estates management in the ministry, Lazarus Chimba.

Prosecutors say sometime in 2000, Joyce Munamati who was then Manicaland acting provincial registrar and Mutare South MP Fred Kanzama were in a relationship and had a son, but were not staying together.

During the same year, Munamati occupied a government house in Fairbridge which was reserved for provincial registrars.

On March 1, 2000, Munamati signed a lease of agreement with the local government ministry for the occupation of the said house.

It is alleged that sometime in 2007, Munamati submitted an application to purchase the house to the then acting Manicaland provincial public works officer.

It alleged that the application was forwarded to the local government secretary with no objection to the request.

Chimba allegedly objected to the request citing a shortage of accommodation for officers in general.

It is alleged that Kanzama, who was not a civil servant or a sitting tenant, approached Chombo and expressed his desire to purchase the same property. Chombo allegedly verbally instructed Chimba to sell the house and prepare an agreement of sale between Kanzama and the ministry.

Chimba, acting in common purpose with Chombo allegedly instructed Shingairai Chekure to complete an account opening sheet in Kanzama’s name to facilitate the payment for the purchase of the house.

It is alleged Chimba and Chombo, then entered in into an agreement of sale with Kanzama as the purchaser at a cost of Z$70 trillion which was duly paid, the court heard.

Prosecutors say when the duo connived to sell the house to Kanzama, they knew he was not entitled to the benefit as he was not a civil servant, neither was he a sitting tenant.

Sebastian Mutizirwa appeared for the State.