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Crime Reporter
PROPHET Passion Java has filed fresh fraud charges against businessmen Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe over the US$9,2 million Harare City Council street lights tender deal that the two are currently facing.
Prophet Java accuses the two businessmen of defrauding him of US$ 300,000.
According to Prophet Java, the two lured him to also invest his money in the deal, through the company the two businessmen owned.
The matter was reported at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport police post over the weekend and investigations are in progress.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said: “I can confirm that a report was made and we are investigating the case”. He could not divulge further details on the matter.
The State alleged that Mpofu and Chimombe submitted in a bid document for Juluka Enndo that the company had the specific required experience in street lighting by falsely submitting that they had undertaken installations in central Harare.
They also falsely submitted that they had installed Christmas lights for the City of Harare.
Mpofu and Chimombe further misrepresented that they were compliant with the requirements of the regulations for public procurement and disposal which required the payment of the Special Procurement Oversight Committee fee of US$400 by submitting in their bid document a SPOC receipt they had used in their earlier bid, which had been disqualified.
They also submitted a bid security obtained on 26 March 2024, which they had also earlier used in the previous unsuccessful tender.
The two submitted audit documents which they claimed were done by a consultancy company, which investigations revealed was unregistered.
As a result, Juluka Enndo was awarded the contract for the two lots of street lighting, which both Mpofu and Chimombe signed for, culminating in them receiving a part payment of US$260 000.
As a result of the same tender award, Harare town clerk Engineer Hosiah Chisango and the city’s principal contracts administration officer Arkins Mandaza are also in custody on charges of improperly awarding the contract.
Their alleged accomplices Never Murerwa, Jabulani Mukomazi, Denford Zhungu and Tawanda Mutemhabudo were recently denied bail.
Online Reporter