HARARE – Former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Cooperation (ZBC) CEO Patrick Mavhura was granted $5,000 bail by a court in Harare on Tuesday.

Mavhura and the ZBC’s former head finance, administration and human resources, Benania Shumba, were arrested last Thursday accused of defrauding the broadcaster of over US$250,000.

Shumba was also freed on $5,000 bail by Harare magistrate Vongai Guwuriro-Muchuchuti coupled with stringent reporting conditions.

The two were ordered to report twice a week at the police, not to interfere with witnesses, to continue residing at their given addresses and to surrender their passports as part of bail conditions.

Prosecutors had opposed bail, saying overwhelming evidence against the pair could induce them to abscond. They also expressed fears the two would interfere with witnesses after the investigating officer said Mavhura was being investigated in a further 18 cases of fraud.

Defence lawyers argued that Mabvura had lost influence at the ZBC following his sacking and he had no capacity to interfere with police investigations.

After Mavhura was fired last month, the new ZBC board asked acting ZBC CEO Wisdom Hombarume and acting chief finance officer Maxwell Judah to give 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The cash was later withdrawn and used to purchase Mavhura’s residential stand at number 98 William Pollet Road, Philadelphia, Borrowdale in Harare.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.

The two will be back in court on October 8 for their routine remand.

George Manokore prosecuted.