THE trial of former cabinet minister Prisca Mupfumira has kicked off at the Harare Magistrates court this Wednesday with both Mupfumira and her then Permanent Secretary, Ngoni Masoka pleading not guilty to all three counts. The duo is being charged for two counts of criminal abuse of office as public officers and one of concealing a transaction.
Their alleged underhand dealings prejudiced the state of millions of dollars although Mupfumira claims that she paid back the money.
Among other things, Mupfumira’s charge sheet says that she siphoned over US$500 000 from Nssa for personal use, and also siphoned over US$40 million in ‘illegal’ investments.
It is also alleged that she received US$101 814,80 from Nssa’s corporate social responsibility budget and converted the sum to personal use and also ordered Nssa to inflate its budget to US$350 000 before claiming US$303 520 for personal and political interests in her constituency.
