Fungai Lupande Harare Bureau
Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs Minister Advocate Martin Tafara Dinha, yesterday appeared in court facing charges of extorting $60,000 from a white commercial farmer as protection fee against eviction.

Minister Dinha, 53, appeared before Bindura magistrate Elisha Singano, facing criminal abuse of office or alternatively bribery charges.

He is also facing money laundering charges.

He was granted $1,000 bail and was ordered to surrender his passport.

Singano also ordered Minister Dinha to reside at his given address, report every Friday at Bindura CID and not to interfere with State witnesses.

It is alleged that Dinha demanded $60,000 from Guy Frank Dollar, as protection fees against eviction from his Tzoro Farm in Centenary.

He is represented by his lawyer Tapson Dzvetero of Antonio and Dzvetero Legal Practitioners.

Minister Dinha of number 1026 Oak Road, Bindura, will be arraigned at the High Court on October 19.

The court heard that Tzoro Farm was subdivided into several plots allocated to several beneficiaries in June 2012.

Prosecutor Nguni Nguni alleged that between 2012 and March 28, 2013 Dollar faced problems with new farmer’s allocated A2 plots on the farm.

The minister was allegedly advised of the problems by an official, identified as Saineti Magore Madzamba and was told that Dollar co-existed with others well.

He instructed Madzamba that Dollar should pay $60,000 for him to save and protect him.

After being pressured, Dollar looked for the money and met Madzamba at Rumhanje Farm in Centenary.

Dollar handed over a plastic bag containing $60,000 to Madzamba who allegedly phoned Minister Dinha advising him that he had received the money.

Madzamba was instructed to hand over the money to Tsitsi Nyika, who is a friend to Minister Dinha’s wife since he was in China.

It is alleged that on the same day Minister Dinha’s wife phoned and instructed Nyika to take $40,000 from the money and deposit it into Minister Dinha’s POSB bank account number 117670000067.

After a day the minister phoned Dollar advising him that he was back from China, thanking him for the money. After two weeks, Dollar met Minister Dinha and he thanked him again saying he gave the money to a higher authority.

It is alleged that he also promised Dollar that an offer letter for his farm was being processed.

On April 17, 2013 Minister Dinha allegedly transferred $30,000 from his POSB account number into his other account number 117310004276 with the same bank. On several occasions he withdrew money from the account and left only $1,012, 29 hence is also accused of money laundering offence.

The court heard that Minister Dinha abused his position as Mashonaland Central Governor and Resident Minister as well as chairperson of the Provincial Lands Committee.

This was contrary and inconsistent with his duty as a public officer, the court heard. Dollar lost $60,000 and nothing was recovered.