'Unbelievable' assault charges against Taibu thrown out

Former Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu has been acquitted of assaulting Esther Lupepe, Zimbabwe Cricket's general finance manager, after Harare Magistrates' Court found "glaring inconsistencies" in the prosecution's evidence, describing it as discredited and unreliable.

Taibu had been charged with assaulting Lupepe in an incident at a travel agents in Harare after he claimed that he was owed money by the board. He strenuously denied the accusations. But Tapiwa Godzi, the magistrate, said the court was still in doubt as to how the assault was alleged to have been perpetrated.

"It's either this case was fabricated or the testimony of the witnesses is grossly exaggerated to the extent of making it unbelievable," Godzi said. "In the premises, the application for discharge at the close of the state's case is hereby granted. The accused is accordingly found not guilty and acquitted. It would be futile to put the accused person to his defence."

The collapse of the case will be yet another embarrassment for Zimbabwe Cricket. Taibu had always maintained that Lupepe's actions were part of a wider conspiracy by the board aimed at preventing him going public over its finances and treatment of players.

Only last week an ICC report, referring to the poor relationship between board and players, mentioned the ongoing case.

While the board has sought to distance itself from the trial, several sources close to it have told Cricinfo that there were glaring inconsistencies in the allegations and rumours have continued to do the rounds that Taibu's counter-claims had merit.

Taibu has had a fractious relationship with senior board officials since he walked out in 2005 after claims that senior officials had made open threats against his family. He subsequently returned, but following the accusations by Lupepe he has been openly at odds with ZC. He was only persuaded at the last minute to join the national squad when it headed to Canada for a quadrangular Twenty20 tournament last October, and missed recent matches after his kit was mislaid.