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Crime Reporter
Bikita Rural District Council chief executive officer Peter Chibi has been arrested on allegations of purchasing six Toyota GD6 vehicles worth over US$222 000 for council executives using council loans without the required Government approval.
The vehicles were bought with council loans and then were registered in the names of six council executives.
Chibi was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and is expected to appear in court today for initial remand.
In a statement, ZACC said: “The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested Bikita Rural District Council Chief Executive Officer, Peter Chibi for contravening Section 91 (3) of the Public Finance Management Act.
“The accused, without Ministerial approval in the exercise of his function, entered into a contract with African Century Limited which bound the council to future financial commitment.
“The company paid US$191 000 plus interest of US$30 900 for six Toyota GD6 single cab vehicles. The vehicles in question were purchased with council loans but registered in the names of six council executives,” reads the statement. As a result, Bikita RDC suffered a prejudice of US$222 000.
Chibi, who is in custody, appeared at the Masvingo Magistrates Court yesterday for initial remand.
In October last year, Bikita Rural District Council terminated contracts for 25 workers who had served the local authority for many years amid reports that the embattled local authority was in a financial crisis.
According to reports, the workers had been getting three-month contracts before they received letters which notified them that their contracts were not going to be renewed again with effect from end of last year.
The terminations came soon after the local authority procured the Toyota GD6 vehicles for its top managers.
Meanwhile, ZACC this week also arrested Harrison Nyamanhindi of Hunyani Piti farm for fraud amounting to US$14 000.
Nyamanhindi is alleged to have masqueraded as the son of the late Chief Zvimba and faked documents from the Lands Ministry to mislead the complainant that he had 300 hectares of land.
He appeared in court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody for bail determination.
Early last month, ZACC also arrested Jeremiah Matenhese and Kingstone Pukutayi Munjari on fraud charges.
The two, in their capacities as executor and commissioner of oaths, connived with Artwell Muchafuruka to file forged sale documents in the estate of the late Phineas Muchafuruka.
The misrepresentations led the Master of High Court to grant the consent to sell the property which was valued at US$300 000 in October 2019.
The accused then appeared in court on February 10, 2023 for initial remand.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter