Former Cabinet Minister, Chombo Granted Bail
Former Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo was on Friday granted bail by Harare regional magistrate Stanford Mambanje.
Chombo was ordered to continue following bail conditions imposed on his other previous corruption-related charges.
Mambanje said Chombo will be required to report once a fortnight to police and surrender title deeds to his Marlborough property.
Chombo, who was appointed Finance Minister by the late former president Robert Mugabe a few weeks before the November 2017 military coup, is charged with fraud and five counts of criminal abuse of office.
The allegations date back to the time he was Local Government Minister between 2000 and 2015.
During Chombo’s court appearance on Wednesday, prosecutors Charles Muchemwa and Ephraim Zinyandu opposed bail stating that the charges he was facing would likely influence him to flee from trial.
The investigating officer of the case, Detective Maxwell Gudo, told that court that Chombo would likely interfere with witnesses if he were freed on bail.
However, in his ruling, Mambanje said Chombo has proved that he will not abscond trial as he has travelled to South Africa nine times and returned.
