FORMER Harare town clerk Tendai Mahachi who appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court yesterday facing criminal abuse of office allegations after he allegedly contracted Augur Investment, a non-registered company to construct Airport Road without going to tender, has been remanded in custody to November 30.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Mahachi (68), represented by Tapson Dzvetero, was not asked to plead when he appeared before magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa.
It is the State’s case that on May 21, 2008, the City of Harare entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Augur Investments and on May 30, 2008, they entered into a MoU with the same company purportedly based in Ukraine for the upgrade and construction of Airport Road.
Mahachi together with Michael Mahachi, who is also in custody, after being denied bail, signed the agreement on behalf of City of Harare and Augur Investment represented by Kenneth Sharpe and Oleksandr Sheremet.
The agreement was allegedly for the construction and upgrade of Airport Road at a cost of $80 million. It is alleged Tendai, together with Michael, who was the commissioner corruptly appointed Augur Investments to undertake the project without following tender procedure.
It is alleged Augur Investments did not complete the project as it did not have the capacity to handle such a project and City of Harare was prejudiced of $80m being the value of land measuring 107 5072 hectares that was transferred to Augur Investments. Shepherd Makonde appeared for the State.
