Harare Workers’ Union chairperson Cosmas Bungu, together with a council employee in the department of works, Walter Ruzande, yesterday appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court charged with criminal abuse of office after allegedly paying themselves $200 000 in allowances for sitting as board members on the council’s medical aid fund.
by PAIDAMOYO MUZULU
Bungu (49) was charged alongside council employee Ruzande (42) when they appeared before magistrate Elijah Makomo, who remanded them out of custody to February 15 on $500 bail each.
“You have to deposit $500 bail each with the clerk of court if you want to be tried while out of custody. Furthermore, you are ordered not to interfere with witnesses, to stay at your addresses supplied of record and report once every fortnight on Fridays at Harare Central Police Station,” Makomo said.
The two join prominent town planner and chairperson of Harare Municipal Medical Aid Society (HMMAS) Sasha Jogi, the city’s director of health Prosper Chonzi and Councillor Panganayi
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Charumbira who are also facing similar charges. They were also released on $500 bail each and will return to court on the same date.
Allegations against the suspects are that they acted in connivance with other HMMAS board members and hatched a plan to defraud the society by paying themselves amounts ranging from $5 000 to $20 000.
According to the court papers, the said allowances which they awarded themselves “were not due to them and were contrary to the council regulations” and as a result of their actions, City of Harare allegedly suffered an actual prejudice of $200 000 and nothing was recovered.