Prosecutors backtrack in Mliswa’s case
27/07/2010 08:12:00
HARARE – State prosecutors on Monday backtracked on an earlier undertaking
to subpoena a senior Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) official to testify in
the ongoing fraud case of controversial Harare businessman Temba Mliswa.
Prosecutor Tendai Chiduwa had agreed last week to an application filed by
Mliswa’s lawyer Charles Chinyama ordering the state to subpoena Morris
Mpofu, a senior RBZ official to give evidence in court.
But Chiduwa on Monday objected to the subpoenaing of Mpofu in what appears
to be an after thought.
Chiduwa told Harare Magistrate Don Ndirowei that she was objecting to
subpoenaing Mpofu after consulting her superiors.
“The state does not see where the RBZ will fit in to answer and therefore,
it is objecting to the application to lead evidence from a State witness,”
said Chiduwa.
But Chinyama opposed Chiduwa’s objection arguing that “Mpofu is being called
to test the waters as regards the strength of the state case.”
Mliswa’s lawyer said the RBZ official will testify on the authenticity of
some letters which he allegedly wrote to Mliswa and whether or not he made a
report of fraud to the police.
“The concession by the state that they were going to subpoena Mpofu should
be allowed to stand,” Chinyama said.
Mliswa has been charged with defrauding the central bank of US$3.5 million
between June 2008 and July 2010.
The State claims that his tobacco company Salt Lakes Holdings defaulted on
depositing US$3.5 million into a CBZ bank account belonging to the RBZ,
which the tobacco trading company had pledged to deposit funds into.