News / National
Mavhaire distances self from ZPC bribery storm
16 Apr 2019 at 06:57hrs | Views
FORMER Energy minister Dzikamai Mavhaire yesterday distanced himself from the case in which the former Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) board chairperson Stanley Kazhanje is being accused of concealing his business interests in Intratrek Zimbabwe Company from his bosses when he was appointed to the board.
Intratrek is currently entangled in the botched Gwanda solar power plant with the State pressing charges of fraud after the company failed to set up the project.
Mavhaire, who was last week convicted by magistrate Hosea Mujaya for refusing to testify, told the court that when he recommended Kazhanje's appointment to the board, he had only seen his curriculum vitae.
Mavhaire told the court that the President's Office could have unearthed during vetting process that Kazhanje had interests in Intratrek before his appointment.
"Kazhanje had never disclosed to me that he had interests in Intratrek Zimbabwe. If he had declared, we could have not appointed him to the board since he had proved that he was conflicted," Mavhaire told the court.
But Kazhanje's lawyer Advocate Silvester Hashiti told Mavhaire that Kazhanje told him that he had interests in one of the companies, but the ex-minister proceeded to appoint him. Mavhaire told the court that he never met Kazhanje alone, but only as a board with other people who included chief executive officers, permanent secretary and the deputy
minister.
The former minister said the only place Kazhanje could have seen him was in the newspapers or on television.
Kazhanje is also set to be jointly charged with Intratrek Zimbabwe for bribery after allegedly receiving $10 000 from Wicknell Chivayo for him not to terminate the 100 megawatt Gwanda solar panel station contract.
Intratrek is currently entangled in the botched Gwanda solar power plant with the State pressing charges of fraud after the company failed to set up the project.
Mavhaire, who was last week convicted by magistrate Hosea Mujaya for refusing to testify, told the court that when he recommended Kazhanje's appointment to the board, he had only seen his curriculum vitae.
Mavhaire told the court that the President's Office could have unearthed during vetting process that Kazhanje had interests in Intratrek before his appointment.
"Kazhanje had never disclosed to me that he had interests in Intratrek Zimbabwe. If he had declared, we could have not appointed him to the board since he had proved that he was conflicted," Mavhaire told the court.
But Kazhanje's lawyer Advocate Silvester Hashiti told Mavhaire that Kazhanje told him that he had interests in one of the companies, but the ex-minister proceeded to appoint him. Mavhaire told the court that he never met Kazhanje alone, but only as a board with other people who included chief executive officers, permanent secretary and the deputy
minister.
The former minister said the only place Kazhanje could have seen him was in the newspapers or on television.
Kazhanje is also set to be jointly charged with Intratrek Zimbabwe for bribery after allegedly receiving $10 000 from Wicknell Chivayo for him not to terminate the 100 megawatt Gwanda solar panel station contract.
Source - newsday
