Former Mashonaland West Minister of State, Reuben Marumahoko, was arrested on Monday on fraud charges and spent the night in police custody, as reported by The Herald.
Marumahoko, who previously held positions as a deputy minister across several ministries, including Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs, and Regional Integration and International Cooperation, appeared in court on Tuesday for a bail hearing. However, Magistrate Nyasha Marufu postponed the ruling until Thursday, agreeing with the prosecution’s argument that Marumahoko could be a flight risk and might interfere with witnesses.
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The prosecution’s concerns were heightened by Marumahoko’s delay in reporting to the police after his arrest. In a related incident, his wife, Andy Maririmba, was also arrested on similar fraud allegations on Saturday.
The couple allegedly participated in a scheme involving the misappropriation of agricultural inputs from the Government’s Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) commercial farmers’ joint venture program. Marumahoko is accused of receiving inputs meant to cultivate 200 hectares of irrigated maize but only planted 46 hectares, reportedly selling the unused seeds, fertilizers, and chemicals. This alleged diversion resulted in a loss of $37,950 to ARDA, according to the prosecution led by Brighton Machekera.
