Former Energy minister Dzikamai Mavhaire was yesterday convicted and sentenced to four days imprisonment for refusing to come to court after he was subpoenaed to testify in a case involving bribery at the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC).
Mavhaire, who appeared before magistrate Hosea Mujaya, was given an option to pay $20 fine for his actions.
The former minister, who was represented by his son, denied the allegations that he refused to sign a subpoena. He said the police officer did not show him the subpoena forms and did not want to be involved in a case he knew nothing about.
Mavhaire said he had received a call from Stanley Kazhanje, who is accused of getting a $10 000 bribe from Intratrek Zimbabwe director Wicknell Chivayo. He said Kazhanje wanted him to be his defence witness, but he had refused to be dragged into issues he knew nothing about.
The State, represented by prosecutor Brian Vito, had consented to the cancellation of the warrant, saying there was a miscommunication with his office on having Mavhaire as the State witness.
But Mujaya then called the police officer who went to Masvingo to subpoena him. The officer told the court that Mavhaire refused to sign the subpoena, saying he did not want to testify.
However, Mujaya dismissed Mavhaire’s assertion that he did not receive any subpoena, saying a police officer could not travel from Harare to Masvingo without a document to serve.
Mavhaire was asked to come to court on April 15 to testify.
Source: MbareTimescom
