Muchechetere remanded

Fungai Lupande Harare Bureau
SUSPENDED Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation chief executive Happison Muchechetere, accused of swindling the corporation of $800,000 by inflating the purchase price of an outside broadcasting (OB) van bought from a Chinese firm last year, yesterday appeared in court and was remanded to Monday for his trial date.
Muchechetere, 63, of Vainona in Harare, appeared before Harare provincial magistrate Douglas Chikwekwe on fraud charges and is out of custody on $3,000 bail.
The complainant in the matter is ZBC, represented by its general manager and acting CEO Allan Chiweshe.

The court heard that ZBC is obliged to procure goods and services in line with the Procurement Act (Chapter 22:14).
Prosecutor Sharon Mashavira alleged that on January 18, 2013, Muchechetere – without going to tender – entered into a procurement deal with a Chinese company to purchase an audio OB van for $1,050,000.

On April 23 last year, Muchechetere allegedly misrepresented to ZBC’s executive committee that the $495,000 donated by the BancABC bank was enough to purchase an audio van, a cargo van and a crew bus; and the committee approved the purchase of the items using the said money.

The State alleged that Muchechetere did not disclose to the committee that he had already entered a deal for only one item, the OB van.
The court heard that Muchechetere flew to China and signed an agreement concerning inspection of the van, which was never carried out by other members of the executive committee.

The OB van was delivered in August 2013 after BancABC released $100,000 to the Chinese company.
The alleged crime was discovered after Muchechetere’s suspension in November last year when it was established that the OB van had a market value of $350,000 contrary to the $1,050,000 he had stated, thereby prejudicing the national broadcaster of $800,000.