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Zvikomborero Parafini
HARARE Town Clerk Hosiah Chisango, who is facing fraud charges in a US$9 million case, is expected back in court today where magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa will decide on whether he is a suitable candidate for bail or not.
Chisango, who is being charged together with the city’s principal contracts administration Artkins Mandaza, initially appeared in court last Thursday and spent the weekend in remand prison.
The State, led by Lancelot Mutsokoti, opposed bail arguing that the duo has a high likelihood to flee this jurisdiction as they are facing a serious offence involving over US$9 million which may attract a custodial sentence.
He further argued that there is likelihood of interference with witnesses as most of them are their surbodinates who can be can be easily influenced.
Allegations are that in January, the City of Harare embarked on a rehabilitation scheme of street lighting along Harare roads in preparation for the 44th Southern African Development Committee (SADC) Summit, which will be held in the capital next month.
On March 15, the City published an invitation to tender and eleven companies – Donax Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd, Ship Tracks (Pvt) Ltd, Furbank Trading (Pvt) Ltd, Radiation Incorporation (Pvt) Ltd, Slowgrad Engineering (Pvt) Ltd, Syvern Investments (Pvt) Ltd, Onel Electrical Engineers (Pvt) Ltd, Boltgas International (Pvt) Ltd, Stoyna Computers (Pvt) Ltd, Juluka End Joint Venture (Pvt) Ltd and Exodus & Company (Pvt) Ltd – responded.
It is alleged that on March 28, the Supply Chain Manager, Never Murerwa, appointed a Tender Opening Committee.
On April 19, an Evaluation Committee, which included Jabulani Mukomazi, Denford Zhungu and Tawanda Mutenhabundo, who have also been charged in the same case, awarded Syvern Investments, Exodus and Company, Ship Tracks and Onel Engineering the tender to rehabilitate eight of the ten lots.
Two of the 10 lots were not awarded.
Juluka Endo Joint Venture, a company in which Moses Mpofu has majority shareholding, was disqualified after failing to meet the tender requirements.
However, Chisango and Mandaza, working in connivance with their suspected accomplices, proceeded to unprocedurally award the tender of the remaining lots to Juluka End Joint Venture.
They disregarded their earlier decision to disqualify Juluka End Joint Venture for having failed to meet the bid requirements.
It is alleged that they awarded the tender to Juluka Ennd Joint Venture whose owners also own Synlak (Pvt) Ltd, a company which had been previously awarded a tender for a biogas digester in 2019 and failed to deliver.
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