Harare magistrate Stanford Mambanje has postponed to tomorrow his ruling on jailed former Cabinet Minister Ignatius Chombo’s bail application.
Chombo, a former Finance Minister and Local Government Minister was arrested over alleged graft in stands allocation on Monday and will now spend another night in remand prison.
Chombo is alleged to have allocated himself over 125 stands in Harare and parcelled out land through his companies – Comverol Enterprise, Cayford and Cavford in Carrick Creagh Farm in Harare without paying for the land, among other allegations.
Charles Muchemwa and Ephraim Zinyandu appeared for the state while Chombo is being represented by Lovemore Madhuku, Tungamirai Muganhiri and Munyaradzi Bwanya.
On Chombo’s court appearance this Wednesday, Muchemwa and 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.
Meanwhile, Madhuku, who was being assisted by Muganhiri and Bwanya, said Chombo would be challenging his placement on remand on his next appearance.