Update On Case Of Provincial Police Intelligence Officer Who Leaked UZ Law Exam Paper
A provincial police intelligence officer has appeared before the courts accused of leaking the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) law degree examination paper.
Superintendent Vigai Maunganidze was granted $50 000 bail when he appeared before deputy chief magistrate Tranos Utawashe.
Maunganidze was told not to interfere with State witnesses and not to use the cellphone line that he allegedly used to send the examination paper.
ZACC investigating officer Tafadzwa Chivavarika opposed bail in vain saying Maunganidze had shown the capacity to interfere with investigations after he allegedly phoned a witness, Farai Madombi, to delete the examination paper which he had sent via WhatsApp from his mobile phone.
Madombi was identified as a member of the Defence ministry.
Prosecutor Ephraim Zinyandu was in support of the ZACC officer in denying the accused bail.
But Maunganidze’s lawyer told the court that the ZACC investigating officer had failed to submit evidence of the leaked examination paper.
She said the document submitted in court as an exhibit was different from the one in Madombi’s phone.
What happened:
It is alleged that on October 31 2022, Maunganidze obtained a UZ Faculty of Law examination paper on Administrative Local Government Law for 2nd-year students. It was supposed to be written on November 3.
Maunganidze, who was one of the students, shared the leaked paper via WhatsApp with Madombi, who was a third-year Bachelor of Substantive Laws student at UZ.
On November 1, Madombi sat for the Company Law examination at UZ, where some students were caught cheating and were disqualified.
After the examination, ZANU PF director of information Tafadzwa Mugwadi, Madombi’s classmate, approached the accused and discussed the exam paper they had written.
Mugwadi complained about the examination paper leakage and said he would raise a complaint with the Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development minister.
Madombi allegedly shared the leaked Administrative and Local Government Law exam paper with Mugwadi via WhatsApp.
Mugwadi immediately notified UZ authorities who confirmed the paper as the one that was to be written by 2nd-year Bachelor of Substantive Laws students on November 3, 2022.
The University then issued a notice to cancel the exam.
The State alleges that Maunganidze unlawfully obtained and intentionally leaked the examination paper, adding that his actions dented the credibility of UZ.
He was arrested by Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) officers on Friday last week.
