HARARE – Former Health secretary Obadiah Moyo was acquitted by the High Court on Thursday.
The verdict follows his arrest in June 2020 on corruption charges related to the purchase of approximately $60 million worth of medical supplies and equipment.
At the start of Moyo’s trial, Harare High Court Judge Pisirayi Kwenda dismissed the charges, which he said were inaccurate and disclosed no offence.
Moyo was arrested for his dealings with Drax International LLC, Papi Pharma and Drax Consult SAGL, with the company’s prosecutors alleging they illegally obtained contracts from the Department of Health without a bidding process.
Delish Nguwaya, a local representative of Drax International, was arrested in connection with the same investigation, but his trial failed.
Tawanda Zhuwarara, Moyo’s lawyer, said the charges could only be described as “unlawful, irregular in form and subject to challenge”.
Zhuwarara argued that the charges in “the three counts are unclear as to what Moyo did in contracting and what rules he broke”.
The lawyer said the contracts were made by Zimbabwe’s public procurement regulator and as such Moyo cannot be held liable for its actions.
“The minister was not involved in the decisions,” said Zhuwarara, who asked Judge Kwenda to acquit Moyo.
The judge cornered prosecutor Garudzo Ziyadhuma to explain how Moyo influenced the awarding of the contract.
He also asked Ziyadhuma to explain what the word “influence” means – leading the prosecutor to admit the charges were inaccurate and poorly worded.
A happy Obadiah Moyo!
As they walked out of court, a jubilant Moyo told reporters, “I’m overjoyed, God is always faithful.”
Since his arrest, the former director general of Chitungwiza General Hospital has appeared in court numerous times without a trial date being set.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa released Moyo in July last year, days after his arrest, for “conduct inappropriate for a government minister”.
The Mnangagwa administration has become famous for its “catch and release” approach, whereby senior officials are arrested for supporting acts without being prosecuted or convicted for corruption.
Also this week, Ignatius Chombo, a former cabinet minister under Robert Mugabe, was cleared of any wrongdoing in his case.
