Acting Prosecutor General Kumbirai Hodzi has ordered the police to bring Wicknell Chivayo to court immediately to face charges of defrauding Zimbabwe Power Company, a subsidiary of the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority, of $5.6 million.
Hodzi was appointed acting Prosecutor General this week replacing Ray Goba who is being investigated for failing to execute his duties.
He said he was going to make sure that key corruption cases were formally brought before the courts immediately and had lined up five or so high-profile such corruption cases.
Hodzi is reported to have established a joint taskforce comprising prosecutors from the National Prosecuting Authority, Special Anti-Corruption Unit from the President’s Office, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and the police.
“We have merged with the special Presidential prosecutorial unit, ZACC and the police to form a strong team that is expected to effectively and efficiently prosecute corruption cases, especially high profile corruption cases,” he said, adding: “The unified team is determined to get almost a zero percent acquittal rate henceforth”.
Hodzi said investigations into the Chivayo case were now complete.
“The Acting Prosecutor General having considered criminal dockets pertaining to one Wicknell Chivayo has directed the police to bring him to court for a formal court appearance at Harare Magistrates Court immediately,” a statement from the National Prosecuting Authority said.
Chivayo is reported to have defrauded the power company after his company Intratek Zimbabwe was granted a contract to build a 100 megawatt solar power plant in Gwanda in October 2015.
Chivayo is reported to have asked for a $5.6 million advance on the $200 million contract and was given the money though he did not have a bank guarantee.
Reports say Chivayo, who has a criminal record, only used $47 775.91 on the project and converted the rest to his own use.
He made headlines by bailing out the national soccer team and was also photographed with former First Lady Grace Mugabe.
Although President Emmerson Mnangagwa warned last month that the mistake made in Gwanda should never be repeated and that Chivayo should be prosecuted, adding “Chikurubi is not full”, Intratek Zimbabwe this week donated $50 000 to First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s charity, Angel of Hope, and another $50 000 to the Ministry of Environment which is headed by Mnangagwa’s number four, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri.
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