Premier Services duo file bail bid in US$900k case

Zvikomborero Parafini

PREMIER Services Medical Investment (PSMI) board chairperson, Colonel Wellington Tutisa,  and vice chairperson Cecilia Alexander, who are accused of prejudicing the organisation about US$9m, have filed their bail application.

The two appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje facing three counts of theft and for contravening the Public Finance Act.

PSMI established Health Shield Medical Service Limited, Zambia, as its subsidiary where the duo were further appointed as directors.

The Zambian wing passed a resolution to purchase a piece of land, being Subdivision of number 27 of farm number 298A, Lusaka, Zambia from Rainbow Tourism Group Zambia, at US$900,000, which was paid in full.

Subsequent to the transfer, the sale was challenged by a Zambian citizen through the courts leading to the cancellation of the certificate of title which had been granted.

Tutisa and Alexander were supposed to conduct due diligence during the purchase of the property in question.

After the cancellation of the certificate of title, they failed to institute recovery proceedings to secure the purchase price.

The offence came to light through a forensic audit carried out by RBM Auditors and resultantly PSMI lost US$900,000.

For the second count, it is alleged that between January 2015 to January 2017, PSMI appointed the two as the PSMI Board Chairperson and Vice Board Chairperson for three years.

Sometime in October 2019, the two, together with other PSMI board members – Richard Gundani, Vimbikai Magnes Kusema, Loveness Dumwa, Alexander Friend, Miriam Chahuruwa, Trevor Shaw, Miriam Chigunduru and Purazi, who are still at large, connived to steal funds from PSMI.

Tutisa and Alexander awarded each board member $27 000 as yearly holiday allowances knowing fully well that the board members were not entitled to the allowance.

As a result of their misconduct, PSMI lost $243 000.

On count three, State alleged in 2020,  Tutisa and Alexander knew they were entitled to a once-off payment of local holiday allowances at the end of their tenure, which in this case was ending in July 2022.

In December 2020, the two awarded themselves undue yearly holiday allowances of $1,505,838 and $1,404,236 respectively with the other board members receiving $362,354 each.

Consequently PSMI was prejudiced                    $5,084 ,176.