Harare Mayor denied bail

Harare (New Ziana)-Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume was on Thursday denied bail at the magistrates court in a matter in which he is accused of interfering with a key witness in another case where he is facing criminal abuse of office.

In denying him bail, Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna said Mafume was likely to interfere with more witnesses and jeopardise the state case.

“It is clear that condition of not interfering with witnesses was not going to be neutralised by any condition and that calls for the accused to be put in prison. Therefore bail is refused,” he said.

Nduna remanded Mafume in custody to January 28th.

Mafume was out on bail for criminal abuse of office when he was re-arrested for bribery.

His lawyer, Advocate Tonderai Bhatasara, said he would appeal against the ruling at the High Court.

“He is accused of contacting a key witness with a view to push him to change his evidence. So the court ruled that he was likely to interfere with investigations hence the denial of bail. He will be in remand prison until 28 January 2021.

“Mafume has instructed me to appeal against the magistrate ruling at the High Court,” he said.

In the pending criminal abuse of office matter, Mafume is accused of arranging the allocation of council stands to his sister and his law firm’s secretary, although neither was on the waiting list or was in line for such an allocation.

The High Court granted him $30 000 bail under strict conditions, which included not interfering with State witnesses.

He was re-arrested barely a week after being granted bail.

New Ziana