Four Harare City Council Officials Arrested For Criminal Abuse Of Duty
Four Harare City Council officials were this week arraigned before the Harare Magistrates Court facing charges of Criminal Abuse of Duty as Public Officers.
The four accused persons are Never Murerwa (62), Jabulani Mukomazi (44), Denford Zhungu (69) and Tawanda Mutenhabundo (29) who are Manager Supply Chain, Principal Buyer, Principal Accountant and Engineering Technician in the City of Harare respectively.
It is the State’s case that on 15 March 2024, the City of Harare flighted an invitation to tender for the rehabilitation of street lighting across the city. Said the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA):
Eleven companies including Juluka Ennd Joint Venture (Pvt) Ltd responded to the invitation. Juluka Ennd Joint Venture was disqualified after failing to meet the tender requirements.
However, the accused persons unprocedurally awarded the tender of two of the ten lots to Juluka Ennd Joint Venture, disregarding an earlier decision to disqualify Juluka Ennd Joint Venture for failing to meet the bid requirements.
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Investigations revealed that the accused persons awarded the tender to the company owned by individuals who also own a company which had failed to deliver in a previous tender awarded for a biogas digester in 2019.
This was contrary to the standard bidding regulations which provide that bidders who have a history of failure to execute are not eligible.
Acting upon the accused persons’ recommendations, the City of Harare entered into a contract with Juluka Ennd Joint Venture and thereafter commenced preparation for an advance payment. The tender was valued at US$9 244 328.
Reports indicate that Juluka Ennd Joint Venture is owned by Moses Mpofu who is currently in remand prison alongside his co-accused, Mike Chimombe.
Mpofu and Chimombe are facing fraud charges related to the alleged siphoning of over $7 million from the Presidential Goat Scheme.
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