The red-flagged US$2 million which Zimbabwe paid for medical supplies by Drax Consult SAGL, associated with local business dealer Delish Nguwaya, is still stuck in a Hungary bank.
In the first two months of last year, Drax had delivered goods worth US$2 733 480.
The money was paid by the Treasury upon a request for the payment from the Health ministry then under the subsequently dismissed minister Obadiah Moyo.
The deal sailed through the Health Ministry, Treasury and the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe easily due to political pressure despite questions and suspicions. It was structured as a loan facility.
The money went from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to BancABC, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas in New York, United States, and Erste Group Bank AG in Vienna, Austria, before landing in Drax’s Hungary account.
Suspicions were raised due to Nguwaya’s close association with the family of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The funds were red-flagged by banks involved in the relevant financial integration system chain for suspected money laundering.
The News Hawks report that Nguwaya and his associates at Drax International, including its founder Ilir Dedja, have since early 2020 been pushing Zimbabwean authorities to answer questions posed by the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), which is investigating the issue, to unblock the transaction.
Drax, through its lawyers Samukange Hungwe Attorneys, has been writing letters to police, Interpol Zimbabwe, Treasury, Ministry of Health, Natpharm, and the Office of the President and Cabinet demanding the US$2 million – but to no avail.
A letter, dated 10 April 2020, written by Dedja to Natpharm says Drax had prepared goods worth US$4 million which were ready for delivery and more payment. Read the letter:
RE: UPDATE ON THE CURRENT SITUATION OF PRODUCTS PURCHASED UNDER TENDER WITH REFERENCE NUMBER: INTERNATIONAL NAT DP 19/2019 AND 20/2019
Reference is made to the current situation of products to be supplied under contract with Reference Number: International NAT DP 19/2019 and 20/2019 which we are summarising as follows:
Total balance of the goods delivered to Natpharm until now is: USD$2 733480.00
According to our delivery schedule, we prepared goods worth USD$4 000 000.00 which are ready for shipment from the manufacturers.
We have goods worth USD$210 000.00 shipped since March 19th that are currently in Dubai due to flights cancellation for Harare. Their ETA to Harare is May 1st 2020.
Considering the pandemic situation due to Covid-19, we are requesting to extend the delivery time of medicines with an additional three-month period. We will restart the regular schedule as soon as the airlines will restart their normally operation.
In a letter, dated 2 June 2021, to police commissioner-general Godwin Matanga, Drax lawyers demanded that local cops answer questions posed by Interpol in April last year so that the funds can be unblocked. Tafadzwa Charles Hungwe, Samukange Hungwe managing partner, wrote:
We refer to the matter above and the meeting of 2nd of June 2021 held at your esteemed offices. We act for and on behalf of Drax Consult SAGL.
The purpose of the meeting was to follow up on the request made by Interpol on 29 April 2020 with regards to the contract signed by our client and the National Pharmaceutical company of Zimbabwe (Natpharm). The request has been availed to us and seeks clarification on the following issues; –
Whether Natpharm is a registered company.
What it deals with (scope of activities).
Whether it has been investigated.
What connection it has with Drax Consult SAGL, especially between 2019 and 2020.
The information referred to above is required by Interpol in order to clarify the payment made by the Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development on 2nd of March in respect of the contract under NAT DP 19/2019 and 20/2019.
Our instructions are to request that the response to the request be processed as the money paid to our clients remains frozen for the last 15 months.
On 17 June 2021, the police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Harare responded to Drax’s letter, notifying him that Interpol (NCB) Harare had responded to all messages from Interpol (NCB) Budapest, Hungary, through the available Interpol communication channel.
More: The News Hawks