He was acquitted together with Zesa engineers Leonard
Chisina and Freeman Kuziva Chikonzo at the close of the trial yesterday.
In acquitting them, Harare regional magistrate Marehwanazvo
Gofa said the State failed to establish essential elements of the charges.
Gofa said the State had alleged that the trio lied that
there was a manufacturing plant of smart meters in the United Kingdom but
failed to provide evidence of its existence.
She further ruled that all witnesses who testified were
corroborating the accused’s evidence.
The magistrate said the State alleged that one engineer
Mapipi was forced to sign a FAT test but during the oral evidence, but has
denied being forced.
The report, according to the State, the report was fake,
but one engineer Chuma said it was a correct record of what transpired in the
UK.
She said even the investigating officer told the court that
if he was told been told of what really transpired, he would not have wasted
time probing the case.
The State had alleged that Jere prejudiced ZESA about
US$3,5 million in the smart meter tender scam and that the accused sold
electricity meters using allegedly falsified documents. Newsday
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