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Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
Harare City Town Clerk Hosiah Chisango and the city’s principal contracts administrator Artwell Mandaza will spend the weekend in jail after their bail ruling was deferred to Tuesday next week.
The State is opposing bail on the basis that the two are a flight risk and are likely to interfere with witnesses.
Chisango and Mandaza were facing criminal abuse of office charges when they appeared before Harare magistrate, Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa.
In opposing bail, the State led by Mr Lancelotte Mutsokoti called witness and investigating officer Owen Mutembwa.
Mutembwa said Chisango is familiar with the witnesses as he works with some of them and could disrupt investigations.
“The first accused person is the accounting officer for the City of Harare and is a principal to our witnesses,” he said.
He also said Chisango attempted to conceal some of the tender documents.
Mutembwa told the court that he was informed by employees in the Procurement Management Unit, a division under the City of Harare, that after hearing that there were investigations on this case, Mandaza took the file of the proceedings.
When he interviewed him concerning his roles in the procurement process, he produced documents under the file he allegedly took.
“I have reasonable suspicion that Mandaza knows where the missing file is,” he said.
Mutembwa said the pair were not proper candidates for bail and their release was likely to disturb public order.
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