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Confrontation Between Anglican Church Members Nearly Ends In Violence After Bishop’s Arrest

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Following the arrest of Manicaland Anglican Diocese Bishop Eric Ruwona by Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission (ZACC) church members who attended the remand proceedings at Mutare Magistrates court caused a raucous after a heated confrontation erupted between two factions.

iHarare has learnt from the Manicapost that there was fracas after Bishop Ruwona sympathisers clashed with his attackers outside the courtroom. The confrontation reportedly nearly degenerated into violence.

They dressed down each other in full glare of members of the public using ‘uprintable’ words. iHarare put out that ZACC arrested Ruwona for fraud after he allegedly converted USD$700 000 loan from Agribank for personal use together with his alleged accomplices. The money was meant for construction of St Catherine Girls School in Rusape.

EXPLOSIVE Confrontation Between Anglican Church Members
EXPLOSIVE Confrontation Between Anglican Church Members

Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira prosecuted the case. Bishop Ruwona was initially represented by Messrs Ashel Mutungura and Passmore Nyakureba. However, Mr Mutungura later recused himself from the bar after the State, through the investigating officer, Mr Eric Chacha, from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, complained that he was conflicted on the grounds that he signed some important documents that resulted in the fraudulent transactions at the church.

Allegations were that the bishop and his three accomplices hatched a plan to defraud the diocese.

To achieve their plans and on 26 February 2016, the accused person and his accomplices, fraudulently applied for a loan of US$100 000 from Agribank Mutare branch in the name of the Anglican Diocese of Mutare Church Agribank account misrepresenting that they would construct St Catherine’s Girls High School in Rusape and to purchase a vehicle for the bishop.

The accused person and his accomplices committed to Agribank Mutare to take the loan under a mortgage bond of a certain piece of land situated in Mutare District being stand number 78 Mutare Township as collateral security without the knowledge of the standing committee and the church congregants.

On February 25, 2016 the accused person and his accomplices fraudulently applied for another loan of $350 000 from the same bank using the same collateral security without the knowledge of the church’s standing committee purporting that they wanted to construct the same school as well as purchase a vehicle for the bishop.

The loan was approved and the accused person took the money.

Mr Mahwe granted him $15 000 bail and ordered to report once every Friday at Mutare Central Police Station.

The case goes for trial on January 29.

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