Pastor in court A Pastor with a church — in which a Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe official wanted on allegations of swindling Government of farm implements is an elder — recently appeared in court charged with fraud. Claudius Muneyinazvo Mavengawenyu (58) — a minister of religion with Spoken Word Ministries — allegedly fraudulently misrepresented to central bank workers at Bak Storage on November 17 2008 that he had approval from RBZ Governor Dr Gideon Gono to acquire farming implements which included a tractor, generator, disc plough, seed drill, motor bike and three knapsacks, all valued at US$38 856. Modercai Masakwa — the RBZ official who was in charge of disbursing the implements — is an elder at Spoken Word Ministries. Masakwa is currently on the run and is wanted in connection with the alleged theft of the farm implements. The State alleges that Mavengawenyu on collection of the implements from Bak Storage, misrepresented that he was a farmer at Mbebi Farm (an A2 farm) in Mazowe District. Mavengawenyu also allegedly misrepresented that he was taking the implements to that farm to carry out farming activities. The court heard that in actual fact, he took the implements to Athol Farm in Banket where he does not carry out any activities. The alleged offence came to light following investigations by Anti-Corruption Commission investigators Mr Servious Kufandada and Mr Douglas Masiye. The investigators — acting on a tip off — went to Athol Farm and recovered the implements. They also confiscated a tractor that was said to belong to Masakwa who had allegedly taken it there for safekeeping. Mavengawenyu was remanded to April 6 on US$200 bail when he appeared before magistrate Ms Memory Chigwaza. Mr Dzimirai Hongwe of Hongwe Dzimirai and Partners represented Mavengawenyu while Ms Ropafadzai Majaja appeared for the State. — Court Reporter.
