admin
Anesu Madiye Herald Reporter
The last witness in the case in which former Energy and Power Development Minister Samuel Undenge is accused of influencing the awarding of the Gwanda solar power plant tender to Intratek by Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) will testify on Monday.
The witness, ZPC finance director Mr Hubert Chiwara, failed to appear in court yesterday because he is out of the country.
Prosecuting, Mr Zivanai Macharaga from the President’s Special Anti-Corruption Unit, told the court that they had withdrawn all their other witnesses except for Mr Chiwara.
Last week, former ZPC managing director Mr Noah Gwariro testified against Undenge, claiming that he was the one who gave him the directive to pay Intratek for the pre-commencement of the project even though he knew that Intratek had not provided a bank guarantee.
Undenge is on bail pending appeal on a separate charge in which he was jailed for prejudicing the same power company of $12 650 after hand-picking a public relations company, Fruitful Communications owned by Psychology Maziwisa and former ZBC news anchor Oscar Pambuka to do work for ZPC.
This was done without going to tender.
Undenge was sentenced to four years in prison and one-and-a-half years was suspended on condition he does not commit a similar crime.
The latest charges arose after Wickneil Chivayo’s company, Intratrek Zimbabwe, was corruptly awarded the Gwanda solar power plant tender.
Mr Macharaga argued that Intratrek was awarded the said tender at the instigation of Undenge resulting in ZPC losing over $5 million.
Undenge has denied the charges.
When Chivayo initially appeared in court, the prosecution told the court that Undenge should also be arrested in connection with the offence.
It is alleged Chivayo failed to execute the project despite getting $5 607 814,24 from Government.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter