Yesterday, Mayor Wadayajena, a prominent Zimbabwean businessman, was able to retrieve his fleet of 23-tonne haulage trucks and a Lamborghini SUV, which had been held since August 2022, when he and five others were facing charges of defrauding the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe of US$5.8 million.
The charges against Wadyajena and the other accused individuals had been dropped last year before a plea was entered. However, the seizure of his fleet of trucks continued until yesterday, when the High Court ruled that it was unlawful.
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The court found that the authorities had not applied for an extension to the maximum of 30 days before the initial 30 days granted in August 2022 ended. This meant that the continued seizure of Wadyajena’s assets was not in accordance with the law.
Wadyajena had been charged alongside high-ranking officials from the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe, including Pious Manamike, Maxmore Njanji, Fortunate Molai, and Chiedza Danha. Dropping the charges before a plea meant that the State could go back to trial if sufficient evidence emerged to justify one.
In a judgment delivered yesterday, Justice Tawanda Chitapi of the High Court granted the application by Wadyajena for the release of his fleet. The judge found that, based on the facts and circumstances of the case, the continued seizure of Wadyajena’s property was unlawful.
