OPPOSITION Viva Zimbabwe leader William Gerald Mutumanje, better known as Acie Lumumba, has been arrested for allegedly stealing $8,000.

Lumumba appeared before Harare magistrate Josephine Sande over the weekend. He was released on free bail and is due back in court next week for trial.

According to court papers, Lumumba committed the offence on February 27 this year at Robert Mugabe International Airport where he met complainant Graham Tineyi of One Commando in Craneborne.

Court heard that Tineyi, who was traveling out of the country, approached the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) desk where he was told that one could not take more than US$2,000 in cash out of the country.

Tineyi then asked Lumumba whether he knew anyone he could leave his money with at the airport and was directed to one Abigail Chipuri who works for a company called Traverse Traveland.

The complainant gave Chipuri the money and flew out to South Africa together with Lumumba.

However, the following day Lumumba allegedly sent a message to one Jethro Tonderai Maphosa instructing him to collect the money from Chipuri without the knowledge of the complainant.

Lumumba further instructed Maphosa to go to Road Port and sell the money on black market.

Maphosa met a buyer who reportedly transferred $10,000 into Lilian Rufaro Madyira’s bank account. Madyira wa said to be Lumumba’s wife.

Prosecutors say Chipuri is the one who filed a police report after releasing the money.