News / National
Chimombe, Mpofu request rejected
11 hrs ago | Views
Business partners Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu faced a legal setback yesterday as their application for refusal of further remand on fraud charges was dismissed by Harare regional magistrate Mr. Taurai Manuwere. The charges stem from allegations surrounding a streetlight rehabilitation tender for which they both stand accused.
Magistrate Manuwere's decision underscores the gravity of the allegations, as he ruled that the application was premature and that the State must be afforded sufficient time to finalize investigations and prepare its case, as required by law.
Chimombe and Mpofu are accused of submitting fraudulent documents to secure a lucrative US$9 million tender for the rehabilitation of Harare's street lighting infrastructure. The alleged fraud occurred during the Harare City Council's tender process in January last year, which was initiated to prepare for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit.
The tender process attracted bids from eleven companies, including Juluka Endo Joint Venture (Pvt) Ltd, co-owned by Mpofu. Bidders were required to submit duly stamped audited financial statements for the preceding two years and evidence of payment for special procurement oversight committee fees, among other requirements.
According to the State, on April 19 last year, the council's evaluation committee awarded eight lots of the streetlight rehabilitation project to four companies. However, Mpofu's company allegedly failed to meet critical criteria, as its audited financial statements lacked the mandatory audit opinion.
Despite these shortcomings, the council invited Mpofu's company to revise and resubmit its bid. Allegations indicate that the revised submission contained falsified documents, including audit reports from unregistered consultancy firms. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) alleges that Mpofu misrepresented compliance with regulatory requirements, including submitting a bid security dated March 26, previously used in another unsuccessful tender application.
Despite these discrepancies, Mpofu's company was awarded the contract for two of the project's lots. The State alleges that Chimombe signed as a witness to facilitate the disbursement of a partial payment of US$260,000.
As the investigation unfolds, the case has been adjourned to January 27 for routine remand. The allegations of corruption and deceit cast a shadow over the tender process and highlight the importance of adherence to legal and regulatory standards in public procurement.
Magistrate Manuwere's decision underscores the gravity of the allegations, as he ruled that the application was premature and that the State must be afforded sufficient time to finalize investigations and prepare its case, as required by law.
Chimombe and Mpofu are accused of submitting fraudulent documents to secure a lucrative US$9 million tender for the rehabilitation of Harare's street lighting infrastructure. The alleged fraud occurred during the Harare City Council's tender process in January last year, which was initiated to prepare for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit.
The tender process attracted bids from eleven companies, including Juluka Endo Joint Venture (Pvt) Ltd, co-owned by Mpofu. Bidders were required to submit duly stamped audited financial statements for the preceding two years and evidence of payment for special procurement oversight committee fees, among other requirements.
Despite these shortcomings, the council invited Mpofu's company to revise and resubmit its bid. Allegations indicate that the revised submission contained falsified documents, including audit reports from unregistered consultancy firms. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) alleges that Mpofu misrepresented compliance with regulatory requirements, including submitting a bid security dated March 26, previously used in another unsuccessful tender application.
Despite these discrepancies, Mpofu's company was awarded the contract for two of the project's lots. The State alleges that Chimombe signed as a witness to facilitate the disbursement of a partial payment of US$260,000.
As the investigation unfolds, the case has been adjourned to January 27 for routine remand. The allegations of corruption and deceit cast a shadow over the tender process and highlight the importance of adherence to legal and regulatory standards in public procurement.
Source - the herald
