Passion Java files fraud charges against Chimombe, Mpofu
Claims jailed business partners defrauded him of US$300 000 in botched Harare city deal
By Staff Reporter
Flamboyant preacher and socialite Passion Java has opened a case of fraud against Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu claiming the jailed business partners defrauded him of US$300 000.
The alleged fraud is connected to a botched US$9,2 million Harare City streetlighting tender which is part of a raging tender storm involving the pair.
Java claims Chimombe and Mpofu lured him to also invest his money into the deal, through the company owned by the two.
The matter was reported at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport police post over the weekend.
Police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the matter.
“I can confirm that a report was made and we are investigating the case,” Nyathi said without giving further details.
Chimombe and Mpofu have been languishing in remand prison since their arrest by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission over a botched goat supply tender June this year.
While in jail, fresh charges of tender fraud also surfaced in which they are accused of submitting a bid document acting as officials for Juluka Enndo, their company, which they falsely claimed had the required experience to undertake the lucrative deal.
They also falsely submitted that they had installed Christmas lights for the City of Harare before.
Prosecutors say Chimombe and Mpofu further misrepresented that they were compliant with the requirements of the regulations for public procurement and disposal which required the payment of the Special Procurement Oversight Committee fee of US$400 by submitting in their bid document a SPOC receipt they had used in their earlier bid, which had been disqualified.
Because of these and few other misrepresentations, it is alleged, Juluka Enndo was awarded the contract for the two lots of street lighting, which both Mpofu and Chimombe signed for, resulting in the release of US$260 000 part payment.
Java, who has attended the two’s court appearance before in supposed solidarity with his friends, has piled more troubles on them through the fraud claims.
