HARARE – Investigators are preparing to charge the former ZBC CEO Patrick Mavhura with a further 18 counts of fraud, a court heard on Monday.

Mavhura and the ZBC’s former head finance, administration and human resources, Benania Shumba, appeared before Harare magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro for a bail application following their arrest last Thursday accused of defrauding the broadcaster of over US$250,000.

Prosecutors opposed bail, and the magistrate remanded the pair in custody to Tuesday when she will deliver her ruling.

Opposing bail, prosecutor George Manokore called the investigating officer John Mvundura who testified that Mavhura is being investigated in 18 more cases of fraud.

Mvundura said Mavhura maintained some influence and the witnesses expected to testify in court were his former subordinates.

“More cases have been reported against Mavhura, about 18 cases which involve large sums of money. One of those involves 180,000 Euros and another US$18,000. If released on bail, he may flee the jurisdiction of this court,” Mvundura said.

The investigating officer maintained that they had “overwhelming evidence against the two.”

After Mavhura was sacked last month, the new ZBC board asked acting ZBC CEO Wisdom Hombarume and acting chief finance officer Maxwell Judah to give him a report on the state of the broadcaster’s finances.

Hombarume, the court heard, discovered that Mavhura and Shumba had siphoned money paid by Totalmedia and Adrenalin advertising agencies.

On December 12 last year, the duo signed two separate contracts with Totalmedia, who made an advance payment of US$100,000.

It was agreed that ZBC would in turn supply advertising airtime worth US$149,500 to Totalmedia.

On January 19 this year, Shumba allegedly wrote to Totalmedia asking the agency to deposit the funds into a Mugiya and Macharaga Law Chambers Ecobank trust account instead of a ZBC account.

The cash was later withdrawn and used to purchase Mavhura’s residential stand at number 98 William Pollet Road, Philadelphia, Borrowdale in Harare.

Another charge is that on February 1, Shumba and Mavhura signed a similar contract with Adrenalin, who made an advance payment of US$100,000.

Mavhura’s lawyers say he was entitled to a company-paid mortgage.