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Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
Judgment for former Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) chief executive Frank Chitukutuku and ex-technical director Moses Juma, who allegedly awarded a tender irregularly for the rehabilitation of roads in three rural district councils to a local company, was yesterday deferred to May 30.
Harare regional magistrate Mr Taurai Manuwere told the court that his judgment was not yet ready.
The two pleaded not guilty to allegations of irregularly awarding the tender to Fremus Enterprises for the rehabilitation of roads under Gutu Rural District Council, Zaka Rural District Council and Gwanda Rural District Council.
Fremus Enterprises is owned by Freddy and Masline Chimbari.
The two Zinara executives allegedly received more than US$140 000 from Fremus Enterprises as a kickback after awarding it the tender for the work in the three council areas.
Juma told Mr Manuwere during trial that he was once acquitted by a disciplinary tribunal on the same facts in 2017.
He denied the allegations, saying between January and June 2011, he was not working at Zinara headquarters as alleged by the State.
Juma told the court that he was actually working in Bulawayo as a planning and monitoring engineer and was only appointed as technical director in March 2013.
He said funds allocation and roads approval were done by the Zinara board, while procurement, service providers, and the appointment of contractors were done by the road authorities, in this case the three rural district councils.
Chitukutuku, in his defence, said he was not involved in the handpicking of any rural district councils to benefit from any special fund projects as alleged.
He said he was only aware of two programmes that Zinara was involved in namely the routine road maintenance programme and the periodic maintenance road programme.
Chitukutuku denied imposing a contractor on any council as alleged, saying he had no powers and authority to do so.
He told the court that the money he received from Fremus Business Consultancy (Pvt) Ltd was payment towards the purchase of a 40 percent shareholding in Champions Insurance Company.
Chitukutuku is a director of Champions Insurance.
He said he was able to demonstrate that in February 2010 through his company called Hotspike (Pvt) Ltd which was able to conclude a contract with Fremus Business Consultancy (Pvt) Ltd in terms of which Fremus purchased the 40 percent shareholding in Champions Insurance for US$100 000, which amount Fremus undertook to pay with interest over time.
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