The trial of businessman Wicknell Chivayo who allegedly
transferred $10 000 into former Zimbabwe Power Company chairperson Stanley
Kazhanje’s bank account, ostensibly to influence him not to cancel a 100MW
solar project tender awarded to his company, Intratrek Zimbabwe, yesterday hit
a snag after his lawyer failed to attend court as he was committed at the High
Court.
Chivayo is facing bribery charges and appeared before
Harare magistrate Mrs Lucy Mungwari.
Advocate Sylvester Hashiti who stood in for Advocate Lewis
Uriri told the court that his fellow colleague was committed with another
matter at the High Court and so could not attend court.
Mrs Mungwari deferred the matter to April 15 for trial
commencement. It is the State’s case that sometime in 2013, ZPC called for bids
for the construction of the Gwanda Solar Project plant and Chivayo’s firm
applied.
The State alleges that on October 22, 2015, the ZPC board
held a meeting where Kazhanje allegedly directed management to proceed in
signing a contract with Intratrek Zimbabwe.
It is further alleged that the following day, a contract
was signed between ZPC and Intratrek Zimbabwe.
Chivayo, on January 21, 2016 allegedly transferred $10 000
from Intratrek Zimbabwe’s bank account into Kazhanje’s personal Barclays Bank
account.
It is claimed that after the payment of $10 000, Kazhanje
later influenced the ZPC board to pass resolutions in favour of the accused in
connection with the ZPC contract. Herald
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