GMB Inputs Scam: Deputy Minister Karoro's Accomplice Granted Bail
The acting manager of GMB Mushumbi Depot Lovejoy Ngowe was on Tuesday granted a $50 000 bail, in a case in which he is accused of being involved in the hijacking of inputs from the Presidential Inputs Scheme.
The same was granted to his co-accused, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Deputy Minister Douglas Karoro and two others accused on Monday.
Ngowe, Karoro, Jeremy Phiri and Dean Dzumunya are alleged to be involved in the diversion of fertiliser, maize seed and vegetable combo kits worth US$73 300 with Karoro and Ngowe taking the maize seed and kits in April, and the fertiliser being shipped out last month. The four are each facing three counts of fraud.
Ngowe appeared before magistrate Mrs Yeukai Dzuda represented by lawyer Mr Batanai Pesanai.
Karoro has dismissed the allegations claiming in his bail application on Monday that the whole matter was simply an attempt by political opponents to get him out of the way so they could win the ZANU PF nomination for the Mbire constituency.
The allegations that first came out at Ngowe’s original remand hearing were that in April on separate occasions Karoro and Ngowe connived to convert to their own use the maize seed and vegetable kits meant for the Presidential Inputs Scheme in Mbire.
After facing complications, Karoro allegedly tried to cancel the scheme and return the inputs but some of the fertiliser disappeared along the way revealing corrupt deeds.
