Court Grants Bail To Zimbabwe Health Minister

A Zimbabwe court has released Health Minister Obadiah Moyo, on bail following his arrest the previous day on allegations of corruption regarding a $60 million deal to procure COVID-19 tests and equipment.

The court’s magistrate granted Moyo bail for 50,000 Zimbabwe dollars ($2,000) at a court sitting in Harare. He is required to appear in court on July 31 for further proceedings.

Prosecutors, however, did not oppose by the bail. Although, they are investigating the minister on three charges, including an ‘abuse of office’ charge that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years.

Moyo was arrested for his dealings with Drax International LLC and Drax Consult SAGL, companies prosecutors claim were illegally awarded contracts by the health ministry without a competitive tender process.

Drax International, headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, has since denied the allegations.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has also cancelled the contracts.

Moyo is the second minister in Mnangagwa’s cabinet to be arrested over high-level corruption claims.

Last July, former tourism minister, Prisca Mupfumira, was arraigned for corruption charges, which prosecutors said related to her previous role as labour minister overseeing a $1 billion state pension fund.