FOUR Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) bosses have been summoned to court to answer to charges of defeating the course of justice for allegedly transferring money held in the association’s bank account after it had been garnished.

Zifa president Felton Kamambo, his deputy Philimon Machana and board members Farai Jere and Brayton Malandule yesterday appeared before magistrate Ngoni Nduna, who remanded the matter to July 29 for trial.

The quartet, however, requested further particulars saying they needed to use them in their defence.

The State promised to furnish the accused with the requested documents on the next remand date.

Allegations are that on November 23, 2016, Daisy Guest House Private Limited obtained a High Court judgment against Zifa under case number HC 6491/16.

According to the judgment, Zifa was ordered to pay Daisy Guest House Private Limited US$161 762.

Daisy Guest House Private Limited, however, faced challenges in executing the judgment and the debt remained unpaid.

It is alleged that on October 15, 2018, Daisy Lodge obtained a garnishee order from the High Court under case number HC 8249/17 against Zifa’s two Steward Bank accounts.

The State alleges that on November 21, 2018, the Sheriff of the High Court went to Steward Bank armed with the garnishee order to effect the judicial attachment.

On arrival, the Sheriff learnt that there was no money in Zifa’s accounts.

On January 22, 2019, the Sheriff went to Ecobank Borrowdale branch intending to garnish Zifa’s two accounts it held with the bank.

The Sheriff, however, failed to do so because the garnishee order that he intended to use was directed to Steward Bank and not Ecobank.

Three days later, the accused persons, on realising that the Sheriff wanted to garnish Ecobank accounts, held an emergency meeting where they resolved that US$740 270 held in Zifa’s two Ecobank accounts that were received from Fifa for football development be immediately transferred to a Conduit Investment account provided by Machana as a precautionary measure until the Daisy debt had been settled.

They also resolved that four new bank accounts be opened with Ecobank, two being nostro the other being in local currency such that Zifa would use these accounts in the future.

It was also resolved that Fifa, Caf and others would be informed of the new banking details.

They also resolved that the funds in the Conduit account would be transferred to a new Zifa account with Ecobank as soon as it would have been opened – NEWSDAY

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