adminroads without going to tender.
Daniel Jinga, who is Gutu rural district council chairman and Ward 38 councillor was arrested together with Emmanuel Toperesu, councillor for Ward 8. The two were on Tuesday brought before Gutu resident magistrate
Mr Nyasha Vitorini to answer to criminal abuse of office charges. Jinga (41) and Toperesu (35) were not asked to plead to the charges and were remanded in custody to 10 October this year.
Prosecutor Ms Agatha Gabriel had opposed bail arguing that the duo was likely to interfere with State witnesses.
She also argued that there was a likelihood of them absconding since they were facing a very serious offence.
Charges against the pair arose on January 17 this year when they allegedly awarded Fremus Enterprises a contract to repair council roads without going to tender, as stipulated by the local authority regulations.
The duo, says the prosecution, allegedly connived to award the contract to Fremus and misrepresented that a full council meeting had agreed to have the tender awarded to the company.
It is alleged that Jinga and Toperesu then misled the Zimbabwe National Roads Authority that Fremus, had won the tender to repair Gutu RDC roads.
As a result of that it is alleged that Zinara then paid Fremus US$150 000 for the services rendered to Gutu RDC on the false premise that the company had won the tender.
The matter only came to light after some councillors queried how Fremus had won the tender. Investigations carried out led to the arrest of the two.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter