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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
Former Air Zimbabwe board chairman Mr Jonathan Kadzura and the airline’s acting chief executive officer Mr Edmund Makona yesterday maintained that the appointment of Navistar Insurance Company was not done above board.
Testifying in the ongoing trial of the airline’s former secretary, Grace Pfumbidzai, who is jointly charged with Peter Samanga Chikumba, Air Zimbabwe’s ex-acting chief executive officer for actions inconsistent with their duties, Mr Kadzura said as the then board chairman, the appointment of Navistar was never brought to his attention.
“From a policy point of view, the accused persons were wrong in terminating the services of Marsh Insurance and appointing Navistar Insurance Brokers (Pvt) Ltd without going to tender or without even the knowledge of the board.
“Pfumbidzai, as the company secretary, her duties were to inform and advise the CEO, not to make decisions or appointments,” he said.
Mr Kadzura also told the court that the accused persons had a scheme that they were using to get hefty salaries.
“They were also paying each other hefty salaries and allowances using a system which was not transparent. When I became aware, I then recommended an audit which unearthed the offence,” he said.
During cross-examination, Chikumba’s lawyer Mr Admire Rubaya accused Mr Kadzura of concocting “inflammatory” allegations against his client.
Mr Rubaya said: “The audit report showed that my client did not do anything wrong. You brought up these charges so that he does not get his terminal benefits.”
Mr Kadzura disputed these claims, arguing that he had nothing to benefit from cooking up charges against Chikumba.
Pfumbidzai’s lawyer, Mr Andrew Muvirimi, who also had the chance to cross-examine Mr Kadzura, praised the duo, calling them “heroes” who saved the airline.
“The situation which was at hand required immediate action so as to insure the airline’s existence after the termination of the Marsh Insurance contract.
“These guys are heroes. They saved the airline by immediately appointing Navistar. There was a crisis, the planes could have been impounded in foreign lands but these two avoided that,” he said.
Mr Kadzura maintained that what they did was wrong because they did not inform the board.
In his evidence-in-chief, the airline’s acting CEO, Mr Makona, concurred with Mr Kadzura that the appointment of Navistar Insurance Company was not above board.
“There is even a letter which came from Navistar in which they were thanking Chikumba in his personal capacity for choosing them as their insurance broker,” he said.
He added: “There are no papers showing that Chikumba was the one who appointed Navistar but as the CEO and the accounting officer, he was responsible.”
In their defence, the duo, through their lawyers, argued that they were authorised by the then Minister of Transport Nicholas Goche to appoint a local broker. However, the State, led by Mr Daniel Muchimbiri, says they were only authorised to make direct payment to an international broker.
Mr Muchimbiri said there was no application made in terms of the Procurement Act as they only made an application in relation to the Insurance Act.
Magistrate Ms Fadzai Mthombeni rolled over the matter to today for continuation of trial.
Pfumbidzai and Chikumba are facing charges of criminal abuse of duty as public officers.
Online Reporter