AG drops Graft Trial
Saturday, 05 December 2009 19:39
THE Attorney-General’s office has stopped the prosecution of the Bindura
Provincial Hospital acting medical superintendent who was facing 135 counts
of corruption amid claims the case could have exposed Zanu PF big wigs.
Beauty Basile was left to go scot-free after her trial was stopped midway
following the intervention of the AG’s office.
This was after she was taken to court on charges that she converted 90 000
litres of fuel to her personal use.
Basile was also accused of issuing fuel to undeserving hospital staff and
flouting tender procedures by awarding tenders to Medwise Pharmacy owned by
her friend, and Cypred Pvt Ltd owned by a former hospital worker only
identified as Kamuriwo for the supply of drugs.
However, officials from the Anti-Corruption Commission who had unearthed the
alleged graft were left fuming last week after a letter from the AG’s office
signed by chief law officer Michael Mugabe, ordered the trial of Basile to
be stopped.
The letter, a copy which is in the possession of The Standard reads:
“Proceed to have prosecution of this case stopped in terms of Section 9 of
the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act (Chapter 9;07).
“It is not in the best interest of the state to continue with the trial.
Please be guided accordingly.”
But two witnesses who had earlier testified before magistrate William Bhila
said Basile had been involved in illegal activities at the hospital.
An ambulance driver at the hospital told the court that Basile had turned
the hospital ambulance into a private vehicle.
He said at one time a patient died whilst the ambulance was at her farm.
He also said all the visitors who came to see Basile were ferried back home
in the ambulance.
Former Health and Child Welfare Permanent Secretary Edward Mabhiza also told
the court that Basile used to abuse government facilities which were at her
disposal and that she flouted government tender procedures.
Anti-Corruption Commission officials who spoke on condition of anonymity
said they suspect the case was withdrawn because there were Zanu PF
officials who benefitted from the alleged corrupt activities.
They said when the charges were withdrawn they still had 31 witnesses lined
up to testify against Basile.
“The AG’s office is not representing the interests of the state. We now
believe that it is also fuelling corruption,” said the official.
The AG, Johannes Tomana, who has not hidden his affiliation to Zanu PF, is
facing increasing pressure from the MDC-T to resign because President Robert
Mugabe unilaterally appointed him last year.
On Thursday, Tomana referred all questions on Basile’s case to the director
of public prosecutions, Florence Ziyambi.
Ziyambi could not be reached for comment as she was said to be out of her
office and was not answering her mobile phone.
In May, the state took Zimbabweans by surprise when it granted bail to
Joseph Banda who was accused of fraudulently acquiring farming implements
from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe even after his lawyers had not applied.
No reasons were given but sources said the order came from the AG’s office
because it feared that Banda’s case would expose Central Bank Governor
Gideon Gono and other top Zanu-PF officials.
Posted by Wellington Chadehumbe
on December 6, 2009. Filed under Local News.
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