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Muchechetere trial date assured — Prosecutor-General

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THE Prosecutor-General (PG)’s Office yesterday gave assurance that suspended ZBC CEO trial date would be provided on May 19

THE Prosecutor-General (PG)’s Office yesterday gave Harare provincial magistrate Vakai Chikwekwe assurance that suspended Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) chief executive officer Happison Muchechetere’s trial date would be provided on May 19.

PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI SENIOR REPORTER

This was confirmed by prosecutor Sharon Mashavira when Muchechetere (63), who is accused of swindling the national broadcaster of over $800 000, appeared in court for routine remand hearing.

Muchechetere, who is also facing one count of criminal abuse of duty as a public officer and another of contravening Section 35 of the Procurement Act, is on $3 000 bail.

The State alleges that the suspended ZBC boss entered a procurement deal to purchase an outside broadcasting (OB) van with a Chinese firm called China National Instruments Imports and Exports Corporation without going to tender on January 18 2013.

It is alleged Muchechetere, who is being represented by Keith Kachambwa and Sylvester Hashiti, “doctored” the price of the OB van to the tune of $1 050 000.

In the same year on April 23, the State alleges he misrepresented to the ZBC executive committee that an amount to the tune of $495 000, which had been donated by BancABC, was enough to purchase an OB van, a cargo van and a crew bus. The court heard that acting on the supplied information, the committee went on to approve the purchase of the van using the BancABC donation.

But Muchechetere is alleged not to have disclosed his prior deal with the Chinese firm.

Instead, it is alleged, Muchechetere flew to China where he signed an agreement concerning the inspection of the OB van.

In the agreement he stated that the inspection had been conducted by ZBC from June 17 to 19, yet this had not been done.

However, preliminary investigations into the procurement of the OB van revealed that the market price for the van did not exceed $350 000 and, as such, Muchechetere prejudiced ZBC of $800 000 and nothing was recovered, leading to his arrest.