Former Zinara bosses further remanded

Former Zinara bosses further remanded
Published: 06 April 2018
THE State yesterday further remanded former Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) bosses Moses Juma and Davison Norupiri who are being charged with criminal abuse of office to April 27 pending finalisation of the investigations.

Juma and Norupiri who appeared before magistrate Tilda Mazhande gave the State a notice to apply for refusal of further remand on the next remand date if they were not provided with a trial date.

Allegations are that Juma authorised and approved various payments to Central Source Management Consultants (Pvt) Ltd, trading as Tax Management System (TMS).

The payments were allegedly for tax management and tax healthy checks done on behalf of Zinara without a binding contract between the parties. The transactions allegedly raised suspicion in December 2014 and Juma created a fictitious contract in retrospect to regularise the engagement of TMS.

It is also alleged that Norupiri, as Zinara’s non-executive board member, showed bias by awarding a contract to TMS. The State alleges Norupiri single-handedly picked three companies, including TMS, to present proposals for tax management consultancy which had accrued to $43 million.

According to procedures, the procurement of service providers should be done by a procurement committee. Furthermore, the amount involved required procurement of the services to be done through a tender process.

It is alleged Norupiri influenced the appointment of TMS and later ordered Zinara to pay in full the money which TMS demanded, without verification.

The State alleges Juma and Norupiri prejudiced Zinara of $1 274 575, 76.

Meanwhile, University of Zimbabwe vice-chancellor Levi Nyagura who is accused of fraudulently awarding former First Lady Grace Mugabe a Doctor of Philosophy Degree was yesterday remanded to April 30 pending finalisation of the investigations.

Prosecutor Sebastian Mutizirwa told court that the investigations of the matter were still on-going and asked the postponement to April 30 for possible furnishing of the trial date.
- newsday
Tags: Zinara,

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