Weekend in jail for Mangoma

criminal abuse of duty, will spend the weekend in remand prison, as the High Court will decide on his application for bail next week.
He also faces an alternative charge of contravening the Procurement Act.
Yesterday, the minister was not formally charged when he appeared before provincial magistrate Mr Mishrod Guvamombe.
He was immediately indicted for trial at the High Court on March 28.
By yesterday evening, the defence had filed a bail application at the High Court and it will be heard next Tuesday.
Prosecutor Mr Chris Mutangadura advised the court that the State was ready for trial.
“As indicated by the State that it is ready for trial, you will be committed for trial at the High Court and this cou-rt does not have the jurisdiction to entertain bail hence (it) will be done at the High Court,” said Mr Guvamombe.
Mangoma’s lawyer, Mr Selby Hwa-cha of Dube, Manikai and Hwacha requested before the court for the prison service to ensure that his client’s disabled left leg be covered all the ti- me.
The State did not oppose the request and Mr Guvamombe made an order that Mangoma be allowed to wear long pants while in remand prison.
“It is ordered that the accused be allowed to wear long pants as directed by counsel so as to cater for his disability,” he said.
The magistrate also ordered Mr Mutangadura to ensure that the court order was enforced.
It is alleged that Mangoma, being the Minister, was responsible for the State Petroleum Company, National Oil Company of Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd.
The petroleum firm – it is alleged – had its special purpose vehicle called PetroTrade, which is a fuel procurement entity duly authorised by the Minister of Energy and Power Development.
Sometime in January this year, the State says, there was a diesel shortage in the country and Mangoma identified a South African company called Nooa Petroleum (Pty) Ltd, which deals in petroleum products.
It is alleged that after some inquiries by the acting chief executive officer of PetroTrade, Mr Griefshaw Revane-wako, Mangoma was advised through a letter written by the former to the secretary in the Ministry, Mr Justin Mupamhanga, not to award a fuel procurement contract to Nooa.
The court heard it was contrary to Noczim procurement procedures that make it peremptory for Noczim to procure petroleum products from a list of duly gazetted companies or after doing tender proceedings in respect of any purchases above US$50 000.
Mr Revanewako, it is alleged, categorically enumerated reasons why Nooa was not a viable supplier of the diesel in question.
On January 12, the State alleges that, Mangoma wrote a letter to Mr Revane-wako authorising him to buy five million litres of diesel from Nooa without going to tender.
The letter was copied to Mr Mupa-mhanga who in turn wrote to Noczim acting chief executive Mrs Mangezi authorising her to transfer US$6 135 494,09 from the Noczim NMB bank account to PetroTrade’s CBZ account, it is alleged.
It is the State’s case that the said amount was transferred after which a supply contract was drawn up whereupon the supplier was indicated as Mowhelere Trading (Pty), a South African company.
After the petroleum supply deal was sealed between PetroTrade and Mowhelere, PetroTrade transferred US$4 400 000 to Mowhelere’s bank in South Africa on January 20.
It is the State’s case that the delivery of fuel only started on February 8 when 485 000 liters of diesel arrived at Beitbridge.
The State further submitted that Mangoma by directing PetroTrade to procure diesel without going to tender, intended to show favour to Nooa.