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Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
FLAMBOYANT Gweru City Council finance committee chairperson, Councillor Albert Chirau, has been arrested for allegedly renting out council property and pocketing the money. Acting town clerk Christopher Ruwodo confirmed Clr Chirau’s arrest but could not shed more details. “I just heard that CID guys came and picked him up around 10AM. They didn’t come to see me so I’m in the dark as to why he was arrested,” he said.

Chronicle witnessed Clr Chirau of Ward 11 Mkoba 5, who is known for loving designer clothes and shoes, being picked up by detectives from the Fraud Squad around 10AM at the Town House.

Sources at the Town House said his alleged case is a tip of the iceberg. There are indications that other councillors had for the past two years been allegedly renting out council market stalls and club houses in their respective wards and pocketing the money.

There are 18 councillors in the council, 15 from the MDC-T, including Clr Chirau and three from Zanu-PF.

The councillor who was clad in a brown suit, red shirt and a tie was arrested at the Mayor’s Parlour where he was with some councillors. Clr Chirau who is being accused of abusing his office as a public official told detectives that he had been renting out a club house just like all the other councillors.

“There is a resolution on use of club houses in our respective wards which I was following just like my predecessor and other councillors,” Clr Chirau said.

He said the money from the rentals was going into the Ward Development Committee account.

“We used that money to develop the ward,” said Clr Chirau adding, “you can publish the story tomorrow and sell your papers but you must also give the side of my story when the time comes.”

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a former town clerk said no councillor was allowed to collect money on behalf of council. He said if there is a council resolution on that, councillors who passed it were criminals and should be arrested.

“Rentals from the market stalls or club houses should have been paid straight to council and not to councillors or the so called Ward Development Committees. Then council through treasury should release funds to those wards for whatever projects they want to use the money for and not this route which sees a councillor being the absolute authority on council property. It’s unheard of, it’s criminal,” said the former town clerk yesterday.