The High Court has reserved judgment in the case in which
Delish Nguwaya is contesting the decision of the magistrates’ court to deny him
bail on charges of misrepresenting to Government that his company was a medical
firm in an attempt to be awarded tenders for Covid-19 medical supplies using
his companies Drax SAGL and Drax International.
He was denied bail by Harare magistrate Ms Vongai
Muchuchuti, who ruled that he was a flight risk considering the seriousness of
the alleged offence which invariably attracts a lengthy custodial sentence in
the event of a conviction.
Aggrieved by the trial court’s decision, Nguwaya approached
the High Court on appeal. His appeal was
heard yesterday by Justice Pisirayi Kwenda, who reserved his ruling for Monday.
In denying him bail, the magistrate noted that the fraud
case had attracted public uproar and the nation pins hope on the justice
delivery system.
Charges against Nguwaya arose after he allegedly
misrepresented that Drax was based in Switzerland, but it was only a consulting
company with no experience in the manufacturing of drugs.
Acting on this misrepresentation, Health and Child Care
Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo authorised a US$2 million medicine supply deal through
NatPharm. Nguwaya allegedly did the same using Drax International and won a
supply deal worth US$40 million, the court heard. The matter allegedly came to
light after a notable variance on prices charged by the companies to those
prevailing on the market. Herald
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