HARARE – A bid for freedom by Portia Manangazira, government’s epidemiology, and disease control director, flopped on Tuesday after she was denied bail by a magistrate fearing she would interfere with witnesses if released.

Manangazira, 52, is charged with four counts of criminal abuse of office following her alleged recruitment of 28 relatives, including her father, to work as community health workers tasked with raising Covid-19 awareness on behalf of the ministry of health.

Harare magistrate Bianca Makwande sent her back to remand prison, concurring with prosecutors that she could easily interfere with witnesses since she was related to some of them.

She was remanded to March 9, 2021.

The court heard that Manangazira, in response to the Covid-19 outbreak, requested funding for the voluntary community health workers’ training and deployment.

An allocation of US$796,675.00 was availed by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the African Field Epidemiology Network, a non-governmental organisation, to fund training workshops for 800 community health personnel who were to carry out public awareness campaigns about the coronavirus pandemic.

Prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti charged that between July 2020 and January 2021 Manangazira acted unlawfully and authorised the procurement of goods and services amounting to US$280,529.00 without following due process, showing favour to selected suppliers.

Manangazira is also accused of sanctioning the payment of facilitation fees amounting to US$8,835.00 to undeserving ministry of health employees.

Between the said period, the accused identified 1,000 community workers for deployment across the country without involving provincial and district medical directors or officers. The recruits were paid US$600 each for a period of three months, the court heard.

Investigations would reveal that 28 of them were related to Manangazira.

The apparent nepotism violated laid down guidelines that stipulated that the health workers were to be identified from a cross-section of the population, prosecutors said.

Manangazira also allegedly directed the issuance of 3,290 litres of diesel coupons to privately-owned vehicles not registered with the ministry.

Her lawyer Harrison Nkomo said he will appeal at the High Court.