Two senior Parliament of Zimbabwe officials including Clerk of Parliament, Kennedy Chokuda have appeared in court facing allegations of criminal abuse office after a laptop tender scam.
Chokuda and
Parliament’s Director of Procurement, Stanley Bhebhe was charged with criminal
abuse of office when they appeared in court this Thursday.
It is the State’s case that on the 17th of June last year,
the Parliament of Zimbabwe flighted an advert inviting interested bidders for
the supply and delivery of 173 laptops and 79 desktop computers.
The court heard that
92 companies showed interest before 30 were shortlisted.
It is alleged that on the 29th of August last year, Mid-End
Computers was notified by the Parliament of Zimbabwe that it had been awarded
the contract to supply and deliver 79 desktop computers at US$3 000 each and
laptops at over US$9 000 each.
However, Treasury refused to release funds on the basis
that the prices were inflated.
Chokuda and Bhebhe also stand accused of allegedly
negotiating with prospective suppliers for prices to be reduced using unsigned
standard bidding documents and specifying the brand of laptops required, contrary
to the dictates of the law.
The duo was remanded out of custody to the 31st of May on
ZW$100 000 bail each. ZBC
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