HARARE – Former cabinet minister, Ignatius Chombo is now a free man after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has cleared him of two of his last remaining corruption charges.
Chombo, who was finance minister in Robert Mugabe’s last cabinet, found himself facing a slew of criminal charges when the Zimbabwe military toppled the now late former president in November 2017.
The military ousted Mugabe on the ostensible reason he was harbouring criminals in his cabinet, among them, Chombo.
Chombo was seized by the military in dramatic fashion to be locked up in solitary confinement before being taken to court in leg irons.
Between 2017 and now, the once top government official notorious for grabbing residential and business stands in a lot of towns and cities in Zimbabwe, saw his corruption cases crumble before trial and was only left with two charges to face.
On Wednesday, the NPA withdrew the two remaining counts when he appeared before Harare magistrate, Marewanazvo Gofa.
The two cases were being investigated by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) which reportedly failed to find any evidence to pin against the once influential government minister.
Allegations were that “on a date unknown to the Prosecutor, Chombo, working in connivance with Rejoice Pazvakavambwa, Psychology Chiwanga, Iben Pransisco, James Chiyangwa, Theresa Chenjerayi, Ehas Chote and L. Chimimba, manufactured a document which purported to have been made on 1 January 1997 with the intention of fraudulently acquiring Subdivisions “K” Portion of Nthaba Portion of Glen Lome from the City of Harare, signed and manufactured a fraudulent Lease Agreement to that affect”.
It was alleged that “during the period extending from 25 June 2004 and December 2009, Chombo and his accomplices forged documents that included a Lease-to-buy Agreement, Capital Gains Tax Clearance Certificate and purported that the documents were authentic and made by the City of Harare, with the concurrence of Local Government and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority Officials”.
After having acquired the Fraudulent Lease Documents of Subdivision K Portion for Nthaba, Glen Lorne, Harare “the accused later fraudulently transferred the property in question to Alois Chimimba”.
The state alleged that by doing so, he acted contrary to and inconsistent with his duties as a public officer as his actions had the effect of showing favour to Alois Chimimba.
