ZANU PF Mbire District Coordinating Committee chairman in Mashonaland Central province, Takesure Chikwamba has been accused of orchestrating the arrest of former Agriculture deputy minister Douglas Karoro on theft charges.
The move was allegedly driven by revenge after Chikwamba lost the Mbire Constituency to Karoro in the 2018 harmonised elections.
This came out in court this Thursday when Chikwamba appeared as a State witness against Karoro who is accused of diverting fertilisers that were meant for Mbire district under the Presidential Input Programme.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
The former deputy minister, who is being represented by Admire Rubaya, denies the allegations, describing them as a fabrication by his political rivals, among them Chikwamba, whom he outclassed in the party's primary elections to represent the constituency in parliament.
Chikwamba told Regional Magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa that he reported the matter to the police after he received reports from his party subordinates of suspicious movement of fertilisers at GMB Mushumbi.
He said he was not in Mbire at the time but was at his home in Ruwa when he was informed about the movement of fertilisers at Mushumbi GMB depot heading to Guruve GMB and rushed to the Police Morris Depot to report.
"When I got information from Nawo Gumbo and Mutukudzi about the fertilisers I got in touch with intelligence officers from the President's office. I also made investigations at GMB Guruve, where I was told there was no ammonium nitrate which was said to be going to be exchanged with compound D which had been taken at Mushumbi.
"We expected the compound D would be returned but it was never delivered to the people of Mbire," he said.
The defence argued that Chikwamba had no locus standi to receive information at GMB and this shows he had a motive to get back at Karoro who had beaten him in elections.
They argued that in pursuit of his vendetta, Chikwamba rushed to the police despite not having any evidence but just words from his security officers on the ground.
They added that Chikwamba never called Karoro to inquire about the allegations but rushed to the police as he had the intention to sink him.
"You had ulterior motives; that is why you did not call him to ascertain whether it was true or not. You just concluded he was a thief and rushed to report without even hearing his side of the story," Rubaya argued.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Chikwamba responded, saying he went to the police because he had been told a "whistleblower" whom he could not name was processing documents at GMB to substantiate the allegations against the former legislator.
The defence insisted the allegations were a fabrication as they were not supported by evidence, adding that the report was not even made where the alleged offence occurred.
They said Chikwamba ignored his nearest police stations, Ruwa, Mabvuku and Harare Central and instead rushed to CCD, which ordinarily gets reports through referrals.
This, they said, showed malice and an intention to get back at Karoro because he "had a bone to chew with the accused for defeating them in the elections."
"You were determined to be in the new building in Mt Hampden (parliament) that you sought to have him dismissed through baseless allegations. You ignored all the police stations and just rushed to Morris Depot, now Mkushi Depot," Rubaya said.
Chikwamba said he was not bitter after losing the election to Karoro but instead he was "happy because it was a learning curve and first time to compete", adding that Karoro was just raising it as a defence to the allegations.
Hearing continues next Thursday.
