Former Minister Chombo Arrested Over Land Deals

Former Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo has been arrested over land deals as President Mnangagwa’s government steps up its drive to clamp down on all big wigs who dished out stands to unsuspecting home seekers duping them of their hard earned cash, Nhau has learnt.

According to papers seen by Nhau, Chombo is facing one count of Fraud and six counts of Criminal abuse of office all allegedly committed between the year 2000 and 2015 while he was at the helm of the then housing ministry.

However, Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU) boss Tabani Vusa Mpofu expressed ignorance of the arrest referring Nhau to check with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).

ZACC spokesperson Commissioner John Makamure also professed ignorance of the “high profile arrest” referring Nhau to check with SACU or the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

Police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he was not in office but had heard of the arrest on radio while Professor Lovemore Madhuku who is alleged to be representing the former minister was not picking calls.

On the fraud charge it is alleged that Chombo caused unsuspecting land seekers to deposit cash in his purported Agribank personal account so that they could be allocated stands at Kia Ora farm under Zvimba rural district, but failed to allocate the stands.

Count two to eight involve his alleged criminal abuse of office where it is alleged that he grabbed over 125 stands between the years 2000-2015 in Zvimba Rural District, Philadelphia farm in, Carrick Creagh farm , Orda farm and Stoneridge farm all in Harare without Cabinet authority and dished them out for his own benefit. Nhau/Indaba