(Last Updated on December 1, 2020 by GERALD NCUBE)
HARARE – Harare Magistrate Ngoni Nduna has removed controversial businessman, Delish Nguwaya from remand.
Nguwaya was facing fraud charges which are linked to the massive Covid-19 supplies procurement corruption scandal that sucked in top government officials including former Health minister, Dr Obadiah Moyo.
He is accused of misrepresenting information about his company, Drax International which led to the government engaging him to provide medicine supplies worth millions of United States Dollars.
However, Nguwaya denies the charges.
Nguwaya through his lawyer, Admire Rubaya argued that the court should allow him to walk freely and that he only comes back to court once the state is ready.
“We plead the court knocks some sense into the State’s head and that the accused be removed from remand and when the State is ready they will proceed by way of summons,” argued Rubaya.
The lawyer also said the case was being used by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s opponents to set negative sentiments towards his government.
“When the accused was arrested, social media was aligning him to the first family to which he is not and him being on remand will make the opponents of President Mnangagwa happy…
Magistrate Nduna in his ruling said it was now six months since Nguwaya was placed on remand and the State has been seeking postponements failing to kick-start the trial.
“The accused has been remanded 10 times without trial and today the State has sought another postponement,” said Nduna.
The State has been seeking that the matter be postponed citing that there are extra – territorial investigations which have not yet been concluded due to Covid-19 pandemic.