Chimombe loses bid to free self from Harare tender scandal
Court rules jailed businessman has case to answer
By Staff Reporter
Jailed businessman Mike Chimombe has lost his bid to free himself from a Harare City Council streetlight scandal after he was named recently as co-accused with business partner Moses Mpofu by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).
Harare magistrate Stanford Mambanje on Monday ruled the Zanu PF activist should stand trial over his role in the fraudulent securing of the lucrative deal.
Chimombe, who is already languishing in remand prison over a goat supply tender mess, had challenged the decision by prosecutors to draft his name as co-accused in a case in which Mpofu secured the US$9 million tender.
In court papers, the pair is cited as officials of Juluka Enndo Joint Venture, the company that was granted the tender.
Prosecutors allege the company presented fraudulent documents to mislead decision makers in the awarding to the deal.
Acting on the misleading documents, the court has been told, the company was given US$260 000 as part payment towards fulfilment of the contracted works.
The State alleges that after the awarding of the tender, Mpofu signed the required documents as the managing director of the company, Juluka Enndo and Chimombe signed as a witness before they received amount.
Through his lawyer Ashiel Mugiya, Chimombe last week challenged prosecution to prove how he was linked to the crime in which Mpofu is considered the main suspect.
Chimombe said he has nothing to do with the streetlights deal.
He argued that he was neither an employee nor director of Juluka Enndo Joint Venture.
But following presentations made to the court by both the prosecution and the defence, Mambanje said he was convinced Chimombe played a part in the commission of the crime and was appropriately cited as co-accused.
“The court has no doubt that the State has revealed everything necessary and it has shown how the crime was committed.
“All the requisite of a remand have been satisfied; there are enough facts for the accused to be placed on remand,” ruled the magistrate.
Mambanje said the fact that Chimombe signed as a witness when Juluka Enndo Joint Venture was awarded the tender places him at the centre of the controversy.
“The signing culminated into them being given a contract and a part payment,” noted the magistrate.
