Source: Ex-minister Mupfumira and Masoka matter deferred to Jan 2023 | Herald (Crime)
Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
The State today successfully applied for the postponement of the case in which former Cabinet minister Prisca Mupfumira and ex-Public Service Commission permanent secretary Ngoni Masoka are being charged with criminal abuse of office and concealing a transaction from a principal after submitting that it was awaiting a High Court case which has a bearing in this matter.
Prosecutor Mr Lancelotte Mutsokoti requested that the matter be deferred to January 19 2023.
The deferment is pending a High Court determination on Mupfumira’s application for review of Chief Magistrate Mr Munamato Mutevedzi’s ruling dismissing her application for separation of their trials.
Mupfumira approached the upper court seeking nullification of Mr Mutevedzi’s decision arguing that it was based on evidence and facts that were not placed before the court.
Through her lawyer, Mr Admire Rubaya, Mupfumira applied for a separate trial from Masoka, whom she said was her star witness during trial.
She told the court that Masoka was the accounting officer during their tenure of office and was the best person to articulate transactions that led to her arrest on criminal abuse of office charges and concealing a transaction from a principal.
Mr Mutevedzi dismissed her application saying there were witnesses who had testified and linked her to the offence during the on-going trial.