The trial of former City of Harare commission chairpersons
Sekesai Makwavarara, Michael Mahachi and former town clerk Tendai Mahachi, who
are facing charges of awarding Augur Investment Company a contract without due
process, failed to kick off yesterday after the special prosecutor failed to
turn up.
Makwavarara (61), Michael and Tendai Mahachi appeared
before magistrate Hosea Mujaya and the matter was postponed to July 11 for
trial.
The matter is being handled by Zivanai Macharaga of the
anti-corruption special prosecution unit in the office of President Emmerson
Mnangagwa.
Allegations are that sometime in 2007, City of Harare
planned to construct and upgrade Airport Road and on June 22, 2007,
Makwavarara, acting in common purpose with Tendayi and Michael
Mahachi, who are already in remand in connection with this
matter, caused City of Harare to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MoU))
with Augur Investments without council resolution
and without following tender procedures.
It is alleged that Makwavarara and his accomplices signed
the MoU representing the City of Harare, while Augur was represented by
Olexander Sheremet. The MOU was signed by Makwavarara
in connivance with her accomplice and Tendai Mahachi
representing council.
The State avers that on September 4, 2007, Makwavarara and
her accomplices entered into a shareholders agreement and MoU on May 21 2008
with Augur Investments, a foreign based company
purportedly based in Ukraine. The agreements were for the
construction and upgrading of Airport Road at a cost of $80 million.
According to the agreements, Augur Investments was to fund
and provide the expertise for the project with the City of Harare ceding pieces
of land to the company. The project was
allegedly divided into four phases and was to be completed
in 2010.
The shareholders agreed that the title deeds of the land
were to be held in trust by Messrs Coghlan Welsh and Guest, pending transfer
upon completion and certification of work done.
Makwavarara acting in cahoots with her accomplices hatched
a plan to violate the provisions of the law and engaged Augur Investments, a
company which was not registered in Zimbabwe
under the Companies Act and under the Zimbabwe Investment
Authority (Zia) at the time of the agreement.
The company was later registered in 2010 after the lifespan
of the alleged contract had expired. The engagement of Augur Investments by the
accuse persons was a violation of the Urban Councils Act. Newsday
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