Former Cabinet Minister Petronella Kagonye Acquitted
Former Labour and Social Welfare Minister Petronella Kagonye has been acquitted on two counts of fraud by a Harare magistrate.
In her ruling on Wednesday, Harare magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti Guwuriro said the investigating officer and the State indicated that there was no sufficient evidence to build a case against her.
Kagonye was accused of defrauding Shingiriro Housing Cooperative of US$18 000 after she allegedly received money promising them residential stands.
A bookkeeper, who was supposed to testify during the trial is said to be outside the country and Guwuriro stated that the evidence of Joyce Chiroodza, the complainant, was not enough to sustain the allegations.
She also said the documents of the cooperative were also not enough.
The magistrate also noted that the other matters were withdrawn by the complainants who alleged that they were forced to report lies against the accused.
Kagonye was facing three counts of fraud and she was acquitted on two counts but the magistrate said she has a case to answer on the third count.
She had applied for discharge at the close of the State’s case but Guwuriro ruled Kagonye must be put to her defence.
On the third count, Kagonye is accused of taking 20 computers from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ) for her constituency.
The magistrate ruled that Kagonye should reveal the location of the computers that were taken from POTRAZ.
She is also expected to tell the court who her brother, Evans Kagonye, gave the computers to and how many were received.
