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FORMER Zinara boss, Saston Muzenda, has been sentenced to 36 months imprisonment after being convicted of criminal abuse of duty.
Six months were suspended on condition he doesn’t commit a similar offence in the next five years.
He will serve an effective 30 months.
Muzenda awarded a tender to an undeserving security company, at the expense of two other firms, which had been awarded the job.
He was found guilty of allowing the Ex-Combatants Security company to provide services to ZINARA when the roads’ agency’s board had resolved to give the job to Morden Security and Real Star Security.
The State proved that in June 2019, Modern Security and Real Star Security were awarded tenders to provide services at ZINARA’s Northern and Southern regions from September 1 of the same year.
Ex-Combatants and National Eye Security’s contracts were expected to end on August 31, 2019, before Modern Security and Real Star Security took over.
Muzenda, who was acting ZINARA CEO, had already allowed Ex-Combatants Security to add security guards in areas that were manned by National Eye Security.
In a bid to cover his back, Muzenda wrote to the then Procurement Regulatory Authority seeking an extension of service for Ex-Combatants Security.
The authority asked Muzenda for the contracts and he responded by saying he had already extended the security company’s contract by 12 months.
During the trial, Muzenda denied the charges saying the security companies were already embroiled in contractual disputes when he assumed the position of CEO at ZINARA.
Sheila Mupindu appeared for the State.
Online Reporter