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Umguza CEO trial set for Harare

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THE trial of Umguza Rural District council chief executive officer Collen Moyo over corruption charges involving $1,4 million has been transferred to Harare at the request of the State.

THE trial of Umguza Rural District council chief executive officer Collen Moyo over corruption charges involving $1,4 million has been transferred to Harare at the request of the State.

Senior Court Reporter

Moyo’s trial was supposed to start in Bulawayo last week, but prosecutor Admire Chikwayi applied for the case to be heard in Harare.

Chikwayi said the Anti-Corruption Commission, which unearthed the alleged scandal, had requested that the trial be held in the capital where most of the people allegedly involved in the matter were based.

Moyo has not been asked to plead to the charges and is out of custody on $1 000 bail granted by Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Meshack Cheda last year.

It is the State case that sometime in 2010, the Zimbabwe National Road Authority (Zinara) gave Umguza council $1,4 million for the reconstruction of a 12km stretch of Ilitshe Road and construction of a 60-metre bridge across Umguza River.

Moyo allegedly unlawfully facilitated the release of funds to Notify Enterprises before it was contracted to carry out the rehabilitation of the road by raising false claims certifying that work had been done.

When the project was put to tender and Moyo realised he was going to be exposed, he allegedly abused his power as CEO to cause the awarding of the tender to Notify Enterprises in retrospect. The contractor was allegedly paid a total of $1 455 650, but no bridge was constructed.