by Bruce Zvandasara
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) arrested the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution (ZETDC) managing director Julian Chinembiri and his finance director, Thoko Dhliwayo over corruption scandal of $35 million for transformers involving Indian Company.
The arrest was effected last night after a tip off that Chinembiri and Dhliwayo were making efforts to skip the border after the newly appointed Minister of Energy and Power Development, Dr Joram Gumbo has warned that he would effect a crackdown on all corrupt officials who had soiled the parastatal’s image.
Sources privy to this development told the Harare Post that Chinembiri and Dhliwayo were apprised of a pending investigation into their abuse of office and dereliction of duty. It was reported that on 2 October 2018, the duo reported sick and could not report for work. It turned out the duo were planning to skip the border.
Police informants told the Harare Post that members of the ZRP arrived on time before Chinembiri could run away as he was found packing his bags.
ZESA and its subsidiaries torched the storm when they awarded multi-million dollar contracts to shady characters without any history of related business among the singled beneficiaries. The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) awarded a multi-million dollar contract to ex-convict, Wicknell Chivayo to construct a solar project in Gwanda which up to date has nothing to show for it other than two shacks at the sight.
Minister Gumbo told the media that Government has ordered a fresh forensic audit into all parastatals falling under his ministry and get rid of all corrupt officials who had for many years robbed the country of its revenue.
Impeccable sources within ZESA told the Harare Post that there is so much restlessness within the parastatal as it is now clear that everyone in his duties was involved in corrupt activities, dereliction and lack of due diligence will be visited by the Police. The Ministry’s position is to retire all bosses pending investigation.
It is believed that in the wake up of a high level meeting held at the Ministry yesterday in the afternoon deliberating the fate of the impending suspensions and dismissals, ZESA Board Chairman Herbert Murerwa and ZESA CEO Joshua Chifamba held a clandestine closed door meeting.
Sources from within ZESA said that the meeting was strategizing on wiping off all corrupt tracks and every paper trail that could be used in the investigation to pin down the two bosses on corruption charges. It is rumoured that various officers were asked to incinerate some contracts and any other paper trail that can be tracked back to them.
Internationally recognised auditors, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) which conducted a preliminary forensic audit into ZESA complained of the heavy-handedness of the principals in the parastatal that they could not access any information they would require to carry out their duties.
