dyton mupawaenda
Yeukai Karengezeka-Court Correspondent
The Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe public relations manager Derek Nkululeko Sibanda (45) and accounting officer Edward Nhamoinesu Tome (50), who are facing abuse of office charges over the purchase of two company vehicles, were yesterday each granted $200 000 bail.
The two allegedly contravened the procurement process and handpicked two companies to supply a 4×4 SUV Toyota Prado for Tome at a cost of $21,7 million and a 4X4 twin cab valued at $9,4 million.
Sibanda and Tome, who are being represented by Mr Garikayi Mhishi and Mr Harrison Gumbo, appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa who remanded them to June 20 pending further investigations.
The State led by Mr Pardon Dziva alleged that on 23 December 2021, Sibanda through an IDCZ internal requisition, instructed Vimbiso Chikwereti the procurement manager to procure a 4X4 motor vehicle for the IDCZ acting general manager Tome.
Sibanda verbally advised Chikwereti that there was an IDCZ board resolution allowing them to procure the said vehicle and further instructed her to initiate the tendering process.
Again on 28 December 2021, Sibanda instructed Chikwereti to procure a pick-up truck 4X4 twin cab for the IDCZ executive vehicle pool. He also verbally advised her that there was an IDCZ board resolution allowing them to procure that vehicle and further instructed her to initiate the tendering process.
The adverts were published in the Government Gazette of 31 December 2021 and January 7,2022 and the closing dates were set as 10am of 21 January 2022 for the 4X4 SUV vehicle and 10 am on February 8, 2022 for the 4X4 pick-up truck.
Subsequently, four companies submitted bids for the supply of the SUV motor vehicle and on January 24, 2022, an evaluation committee was set to open and evaluate the bids submitted by the vehicle suppliers.
Mike Harris’ bid was valued at US$109 034, Rally Motoring at US$84 345, Faramatsi Motors at US$81 429,79 and Motor City at US$71 000.
On January 25, 2022, before the evaluation committee concluded the evaluations and contrary to the provisions the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act general regulations, Tome and Sibanda allegedly handpicked Faramatsi Motors and instructed Chemplex Corporation chief executive James Chigwende to process a full purchase price for the Toyota Prado SUV for the acting general manager.
The PPDPA stipulates that procuring entities should spend at least 15 days evaluating bids and another 14 days as waiting period.
State further alleged that on January 28 last year, Sibanda and Tome also illegally contracted Faramatsi Motors to supply and deliver the 4X4 SUV Toyota Prado. The two are also allegedly handpicked Croco Motors to supply a 4X4 pick-up truck for $9,4 million.
On the closing date of the bids, an evaluation committee where Sibanda was a participant sat and considered bids for the 4X4 pick-up truck.
The bids included Mike Harris (US$58 550), Croco Motors ($21 750 000), Nissan Clover Leaf (US$45 088), Faramatsi Motors (US$59 140) and AMTEC Motors (US$56 224).
The pair further allegedly tasked the evaluation committee to sanitise the flawed procurement process in retrospect. The evaluation committee was then forced to regularise the whole process on paper and resultantly awarded the tenders to Faramatsi Motors and Croco Motors.
According to the State, investigations then established that if proper procurement procedures had been followed, the tender for the supply and delivery of the Toyota Prado was supposed to have been awarded to Amtec Motors.
Supply of a Ford Ranger Raptor, according to the investigation, should have been awarded to Nissan Clover Leaf. Both suppliers were the lowest bidders and their bids were within the set specifications.
The State alleges that Tome and Sibanda handpicked suppliers of the two motor vehicles and contracts for the supply and delivery of the motor vehicles were signed before the procurement process was concluded.
By handpicking expensive suppliers, they also allegedly showed favour to Croco Motors and Faramatsi Motors while disfavouring the other motor vehicle companies who were made to participate in tenders that already had predetermined winners.
Online Reporter