By Judith Nyuke
Former Deputy Minister of Agriculture Douglas Karoro has been acquitted in a US$27 300 fraud case involving presidential inputs, specifically fertilizer
Karoro was jointly charged with Mugove Chidamba, Lovejoy Ngowe, Jeremmy Phiri and Dean Dzimunya.
In her ruling, Harare Regional Magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa said there was no evidence linking Karoro and his co-accused to the crime adding that the State had failed to prove its case.
She said that, according to the evidence presented in court Karoro’s name was merely used by fraudsters to gain access to the Mushumbi depot and take the fertiliser without his consent and in his absence.
Gofa also pointed to political competition in Karoro’s constituency suggesting that his rivals may have contributed to a smear campaign an assertion she noted was never challenged in court.
During the trial, Karoro, who was legally represented by Admire Rubaya, denied the fraud charge attributing his legal troubles to political adversaries within the ruling Zanu-PF party Charles Mutukudzi and Takesure Chikwamba.
He claimed that their repeated defeats in primary elections against him in 2015, 2018 and 2023 were the root cause of the allegations he was facing.
Rubaya also said Karoro had no involvement in any illegal dealings concerning fertilisers from GMB Mushumbi Pools and neither received nor profited from their sale.
He further challenged the State to substantiate claims that Karoro participated in the alleged exchange of Compound D fertiliser for Ammonium Nitrate between the GMB depots at Aspindale and Mushumbi Pools purportedly to conceal a criminal act.
In October, magistrate Taurai Manuwere also acquitted Karoro of fraud charges related to the alleged misappropriation of US$43,000 worth of seeds intended for Mbire villagers in Mashonaland Central.
