A NEW magistrate will take over the matter in which former Cabinet Minister Prisca Mupfumira is jointly charged with ex-Public Commission permanent secretary Ngoni Masoka on corruption related allegations following the appointment of the then Chief Magistrate, Justice Munamato Mutevedzi as judge of the High Court.
Justice Mutevedzi was presiding over the matter, where Mupfumira and Masoka are alleged to have misappropriated a US$90 000 debt acquired from National Social Security Authority (NSSA) and purchasing air tickets for their relatives to attend a wedding in South Africa as well as paying for their accommodation.
Yesterday, the matter was deferred to October 27 pending the outcome of a review of Mupfumira’s appeal against Justice Mutevedzi’s decision to dismiss her application for separation of trials with Masoka. Mr Tafara Chirambira, appearing for the State, told the court that the matter for review will soon be set down at the High Court as all papers have been filed at the upper court.
He said they were expecting the matter to be set down within the next two weeks.
Mr Chirambira also told the court that the State needed time to sit down and map how they will proceed with the matter after the presiding magistrate assumed bench at the upper court.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Mrs Bianca Makwande postponed the matter to October 27 on the basis that there was a pending review at the High Court.
Mupfumira and Masoka are denying the charges.
Mupfumira told the court that there was no law that prevented Government ministries from purchasing their own cars and that also bars CMED (Pvt) Limited from buying cars on behalf of the Government.
Masoka, on the other hand, told the court that he would not go all the way to abuse his office to please Mupfumira or any other person, saying he abided by his standard operating procedures as was expected of him by the employer.
Deputy chief secretary responsible for administration and finance in the President’s Office Dr Martin Rushwaya and CMED (Pvt) Limited managing director Mr Davison Mhaka have testified in the matter.