Former Cabinet Minister, Ignatius Chombo’s, latest application for the temporary release of his passport has been granted by the High Court.
As a condition for the temporary release of the passport, Chombo was ordered to surrender title deeds for his Marlborough property as surety. The tittle deeds will be returned to him in exchange for the passport.
The order compels Chombo to return the passport on 3 December. Chombo is currently on bail on several charges including criminal abuse of office and violating Section 4(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Chapter 9:16) by allegedly conniving with Psychology Chiwanga, Rejoice Pazvakavambwa, Iben Fransisco, James Chiyangwa, Theresa Chenjerayi, Elias Choto and Lazarus Chimba to forge documents used to transfer a Glen Lorne, Harare, property from the Harare City Council to Alois Chimeri.
It is the State’s case that the duo acted in connivance with Chombo, Chiwanga, Francisco, Chiyangwa, Chenjerayi, and Choto. Allegations are that on a date unknown to the State, Chimba wrote a memo dated June 13, 2008 to the City of Harare, indicating he had no objection to a double transfer of a property in Glen Lorne to Chimeri.
He also did not object to Chimeri being given title deeds to the said property, which had been acquired illegally and sold to him by Chombo. According to the State, Chimba also influenced Harare City Council to illegally get compensation for the said piece of land, which had been sold by Chombo.
Pazvakavambwa, it is alleged, authored another document on June 25 the same year addressed to the City of Harare, confirming the property had been sold to Chombo.
Pazvakavambwa, who is the deputy director of valuations and estate management in the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing and Chimba (70), who is the registrar of valuers, have since been arrested as Chombo’s accomplices.
They are accused of facilitating the transfer of council property worth over $900 000 into Chombo’s name.
They appeared before Harare magistrate Josephine Sande on charges of violating Section 4 (a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Chapter 9:16).