By Own Correspondent- Independent legislator for Norton, Temba Mliswa and opposition MDC MP Anele Ndebele were acquited by James Ross Goddard during a parliamentary hearing into bribery allegations which started yesterday.

Zanu Pf’s Leonard Chikomba and MDC’s Prince Dubeko Sibanda were however incriminated by the complainant.

The Parliament’s Privilege Committee chaired by Senator Chief Fortune Charumbira was investigating bribery allegations against Mliswa and others.

It was alleged that they demanded a $400 000 bribe from Goddard for his company, JRG Pvt Ltd, to secure a coal mining contract at Hwange in 2018.

Speaking during cross-examination by Mliswa’s lawyer Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara, Goddard said that Mliswa and Chikomba did not make any financial requests.

He also added that:

“It (the issue of the facilitation fee) was raised by Honourable Chikomba and Honourable Sibanda that we can’t go to Hwange without something and it was Honourable Chikomba who was the most aggressive.”

Chikomba and Sibanda are denying charges arguing that Goddard’s allegations lacked evidence to back them.