The Office of the President and Cabinet has dragged a website company to court over allegations of fraud after it allegedly uploaded an advert on presidential scholarships.
Harare provincial magistrate Sharon Rakafa remanded Vacancy Mail Media (Pvt) Limited represented by Etinos Mudzamba and Julius Mudzamba out of custody to July 17 for continuation of trial.
The trial started on Friday last week after the State summoned its first witness William Taringa, who is the director of presidential scholarships in the Office of President and Cabinet.
Taringa told the court that it was government policy represented by the Office of the President and Cabinet which is responsible for all the recruitment of candidates and advertising of scholarships that no one is allowed to copyright and infringe or undertake any piracy of such advertisement.
Taringa further testified that the government did not deal with websites in order to avoid bogus agents who masquerade as officials from the Office of the President.
However, defence lawyer Marshall Chitsanga said his clients’ company was duly registered and was in the business of advertising, adding that its core business was to create a platform for people to advertise.
He submitted that his clients did not alter the contents of the advert and had no intention to deceive the public.
The defence further argued that the witness did not present documents in court to show that he is from the Office of the President.
Prosecutor Dzidza Josiah alleged that on March 12, 2021, the Presidential and National Scholarships Department in the Office of the President and Cabinet, advertised a scholarship in the Metala for Russian Federation-Zimbabwe Bilateral Scholarship 2021/22 Academic.
On the same date, the suspects, in bid to deceive the unsuspecting members of the public altered the advert by supplying their contact numbers to applicants via its company website www.vacancymail.co.zw without the knowledge and consent of the government and re-posted it on social media.
The State further alleges that the Office of the President was prejudiced of reputation and good administration.
The offence was discovered on the same date and a report was made to the police while investigations were being carried out through the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe. — NewsDay
