He faces these
charges alongside his wife, Nobukhosi, and his brother, Vusumuzi James Mpofu,
who are co-directors of Synlak Private Limited.
Both Nobukhosi
and Vusumuzi were released on bail set at US$800 each.
The allegations
involve Mpofu and his associates defrauding the City of Harare in connection
with a project funded by a €350 500 grant from the European Union.
This initiative
aimed to design and construct biogas digesters and install a biogas generator
for the Mbare biogas project.
In March 2015,
the City of Harare issued a tender for the project, requiring bidders to comply
with specific payment terms.
Synlak, under
Mpofu’s direction, submitted a bid affirming compliance with these payment
terms, stating that payment would occur only after installation and
commissioning.
After a
technical evaluation, the contract was awarded to Synlak.
However,
following the contract’s signing, Mpofu and his associates allegedly requested
an advance payment of US$186 116.
This request
was made despite their prior pledge of financial capability to complete the
project before any payment claims.
It is alleged
that Mpofu and his accomplices generated an invoice demanding an advance
payment of US$465 290, falsely claiming that the project had been completed.
Payments
totalling US$415 290 were made to Synlak’s accounts without the necessary
completion certificates.
The funds were
reportedly withdrawn for unauthorised purposes.
Mpofu’s
appearance in court today is crucial, as it will determine whether he will be
granted bail amid the allegations.
The State,
represented by acting town clerk Mr Mabhena Moyo, is pursuing the case against
him and his co-accused. H Metro
0 comments:
Post a Comment