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Catherine Mutema Midlands Reporter
THE trial of secondary school headmasters and teachers who allegedly leaked examination papers resumed yesterday at the Gweru Magistrate’s Courts with the investigating officer giving  evidence. Two headmasters and four teachers from secondary schools in Kwekwe and Gweru are accused of leaking last year’s November Geography Paper 2 and Integrated Science Paper 2 examination papers.

Vimbai Makanaka, 39, a teacher at Njeremoto Secondary School, Kwekwe Rural, Michael Kutama, 50, the proprietor of Chirodzo Private College, in Mbizo 11, Lloyd Mpofu, 36, a teacher at Chirodzo College, Bonaventure Mungwiro, 42, a teacher at Manunure High School in Kwekwe, Benadino Mungwiro, 40, a teacher at Munyati Secondary School in Kwekwe and William Gondo, 27, the proprietor of Booms Private College in Mkoba 3 in Gweru, have pleaded not guilty before provincial magistrate Phathekile Msipa.

They were remanded out of custody to today.

State witness, Detective Assistant Inspector, Samuel Gono told the court how he received a tip-off from Zimsec manager for Midlands province, Nelson Ncube that Gondo was selling ‘O’ level examination papers.

“We got a tip-off from one Nelson Ncube asking us to investigate Gondo who was reportedly selling ‘O’ level examination papers,” said Gono.

The police detective said he and his colleagues then set a trap for Gondo. They used a phone call to flash him out. “The other detectives and I decided to call Gondo and lure him to N Richards Wholesalers in Gweru which he did,” he said.

Gono said a search was done in Gondo’s car leading to the recovery of handwritten ‘O’ level Integrated Science Paper 2, which led to the arrest of Gondo who later implicated the other five. Makanaka, one of the five teachers implicated by Gondo, went on to demonstrate before Zimsec officials how he had opened the sealed examination envelopes, the court heard. The State also produced in court as exhibit the two envelopes  containing Integrated Science Paper 2 exam paper and the handwritten ones that were tempered with.

Prosecuting, Bernad Nyoni told the court that on 3 November last year, Makanaka received Zimsec question papers for Geography Paper 2 and Integrated Science Paper 2, which were meant to be written on 14 November and 18 November respectively. The court heard that between 3 November and 16 November, Makanaka allegedly opened the seals of both examination papers and went on to photocopy them. It is also alleged that Makanaka offered the copies of the examination papers to Kutama and Mpofu.

Mpofu allegedly passed on the papers to Mungwiro who also gave his brother Benadino who sold the copies for $100, the court heard.