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Source: MDC Masvingo rubbishes Mwonzora endorsement claims | Newsday (News)

BY GARIKAI MAFIRAKUREVA/NQOBANI NDLOVU

MDC’s Masvingo provincial spokesperson, Dusty Zivhave, has dismissed claims circulating on social media that the province has endorsed secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora’s candidacy for the party’s presidency at the elective congress to be held in May.

Zivhave said the meeting held at the party offices in Masvingo on Wednesday did not discuss the nominations or endorsements of congress candidates.

“That is the work of our detractors who are peddling lies on social media, trying to sow seeds of discontent and division ahead of a crucial congress to be held in May this year. The claims are unfounded and silly, to say the least. Unless if there was another meeting held somewhere in town by State security agents or Zanu PF thugs who endorsed Mwonzora, which I doubt. The provincial assembly was held at our offices at number 132 Mukwa Street in Rhodene and we never discussed that issue,” he said.

“The truth is we were discussing issues to do with how the congress is going to be held and who is eligible to vote. We never talked about nominations or endorsements because this is not the time. The provincial members will hold meetings with district assemblies, who will in turn hold meetings with wards and so on.”

A bogus Facebook character known as Tirimusango Wenje claimed that Masvingo had endorsed Mwonzora, while a Simon Wezhira posted on Democracy Advocate Initiative page: “Dougie (Mwonzora) for office. We are tired of (the) immature leadership of Wamba.”

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa on Sunday said all party positions would be contested.

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Source: New date for Magaya tax evasion case | The Herald March 1, 2019

Walter Magaya

Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter
A representative of Walter Magaya’s Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries appeared in court yesterday for trial on charges of the church evading paying tax on income amounting to more than $28 million.

Magaya and his wife Tendai also stand accused of drawing millions in salaries from the church account without paying Pay As You Earn (PAYE).

Before the trial could commence yesterday, defence lawyers made an application for more time to prepare their defence, arguing that they were served with the relevant papers on Wednesday.

Regional magistrate Mr Hoseah Mujaya acceded to the application and set March 21 as the new trial date. Mr Nelson Marimo was the church representative, while Mr Everson Chatambudza was the defence lawyer. Mr Chatambudza said he was served with the relevant papers on Wednesday by prosecutor Mr George Manokore, hence the need for additional time to prepare the defence. To support his application for postponement, Mr Chatambudza indicated that there were some issues they needed to verify and agree on with the State before the trial commenced.

Magaya’s church is being charged for breaching Value Added Tax (VAT) regulations on over $28 million realised from sale of church wares since 2013.

According to the State, the church raises revenue from selling church regalia, anointing oil, holy water and from its guest house. It is alleged that sometime in October last year, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) conducted tax investigations and recovered financial statements from PHD for the period extending from 2013 to 2017.

The court heard that ZIMRA recovered financial statements from the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe which were submitted by PHD for a loan application.

The statements showed that the church realised sales amounting to $28 706 040 between 2013 and 2017.

It is alleged that during that period, the church did not submit income tax returns to ZIMRA. The court heard that during the same period, PHD paid remuneration amounting to $950 522,99 to Magaya’s wife, Tendai, directly into her personal Stanbic Bank account.

PHD also transferred remuneration of US $2 403 658,24 to Magaya’s Stanbic Bank account and on both occasions, the church evaded tax by not paying Pay As You Earn.

It is the State case that Magaya’s church had no records of all  goods and services that it sells and purchases, in violation of the VAT Act.

The post New date for Magaya tax evasion case appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

SHOCK and bewilderment have seized Vukuzenzele 2 Village under Esikhoveni area in Esigodini District following gruesome revelations that a four-year-old boy who mysteriously disappeared four months ago, was alive and being taken care of by suspected witches who want to turn him into a tokoloshe. The chilling revelations were made by witch-hunters popularly known as […]

Source: Lawyer declines to testify against Mugabe's son-in-law | Daily News

A Harare lawyer has refused to testify against former president Robert Mugabe’s son-in-law Simba Chikore as a State witness to establish an essential fact of the Zimbabwe Airways senior staff row as well as provide expert testimony saying she retains a contingent fee interest in the case.

Harare lawyer Phillipa Phillips was due to testify against Chikore in the trial but advised the court in a letter that there would be conflict of interest and had to seek consent first. Citing the need to honour lawyer-client privileges, Phillips declined to testify in the State’s case in which Chikore is accused of unlawfully detaining Zimbabwe Airways legal secretary Bertha Zakeyo from exiting the controversial airline’s offices after summarily firing her. Phillips is Zakeyo’s lawyer.

The State insisted that Phillips must testify.
The prohibition against lawyers serving as both counsel and witness in a trial proceeding has a long and complicated history, and the rule itself is riddled with exceptions  “She must come and testify and allow the court to make a determination on whether she should do so or not,” prosecutor Mirirai Shumba insisted yesterday.

“The investigating officer who went to her offices intending to subpoena her was informed that she had travelled to South Africa and on Tuesday this week. It is the State’s view that the witness must come and make the record straight. “In the letter, she also stated that she hadn’t been subpoenaed so was under no obligation to appear and testify in court.”

Harare magistrate Victoria Mashamba urged the State to avail all remaining witness and avoid delaying the trial.
“The State is being warned to make available all its witnesses on the next date. Justice delayed is justice denied and all defaulting witnesses will be issued with warrants or risk having to close the State case,” Mashamba said.

Allegations are that Chikore — married to Mugabe’s daughter Bona — reportedly embarked on a purge of senior staff at Zimbabwe Airways he accused of being disloyal to the company.
According to Zakeyo, she received a letter from her boss Chikore, demanding that she responds to a battery of charges levelled against her.

The charges included holding unsanctioned meetings outside the company premises and trading sensitive information.
She later received an e-mail from Chikore demanding that she writes a report detailing her dealings with unnamed external parties.
In a docket opened at the Highlands Police Station, Zakeyo said Chikore — whom she accused of masquerading as a captain — kidnapped her for more than two hours and also denied her access to her lawyer, Phillips.

Trouble has been brewing at Zimbabwe Airways, which is under an opaque ownership that involves government, Chikore and some unnamed foreign nationals. Recently, the airline got delivery of its first bird, a Boeing 777 which was unveiled by President Emmerson Mnangagwa amid much pomp and fanfare.

It was, however, flown back to Malaysia after attracting unsustainable charges including steep parking fees.
The airline also failed to mobilise funds to hire pilots to fly the plane.

The post Lawyer declines to testify against Mugabe’s son-in-law appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Ginimbi gets passport back | Herald (Africa)

Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter
Businessman Genius Kadungure, who is facing charges of tax evasion and money laundering, yesterday successfully applied for the temporary release of his passport to enable him to travel abroad for business.

With the prosecution’s consent, magistrate Mrs Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro granted the release of Kadungure’s passport from February 28 to March 18.

“Temporary release of passport is granted and to be returned on March 18,” she said.

“Reporting conditions for that period are hereby relaxed.”

Kadungure, through his lawyer Mr Jonathan Samukange, submitted a written application to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) seeking the release of his passport.

The NPA then granted the application.

When he made the same application in January, the State requested that it should be given Kadungure’s title deeds as surety.

He then complied.

Allegations against Kadungure are that between February 2009 and May 2016, his company Piko Trading Private Limited misrepresented to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) that it made total sales of $2 777 678, inclusive of Value Added Tax, when in actual fact the company had made sales amounting to $9 092 951.

To that end, Zimra suffered a prejudice of $417 940.

Kadungure is also being accused of evading tax, with Zimra suffering a total prejudice of $3 468 949.

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