HARARE – A warrant of arrest has been issued for former deputy minister Godfrey Gandawa, who skipped court on Monday.

The former Higher Education deputy minister’s corruption trial was due to kick-off before Justice Tawanda Chitapi at the Harare High Court but he was a no show.

The judge signed a non-bailable warrant of arrest after prosecutor Clement Chimbari made an application.

Lawyer Bernard Chidziva, who appeared for Gandawa, said he had last seen the former Magunje MP before the July 30 elections.

Gandawa is accused along with ZIMDEF principal director of finance Nicholas Mapute of abusing $400,000 of the manpower development fund.

Days before elections on July 30, Gandawa – who ran as an independent MP – was forced to flee his home after armed men raided their compound and kidnapped his family, including his mother, while trying to establish his whereabouts.