Allied Timbers boss denied bail

THE State yesterday opposed bail for Allied Timbers chief executive officer Remigio Nenzou, who is facing criminal abuse of office charges, after he allegedly awarded a Germany company a tender to supply a sawmill without following the tender-awarding process. BY MIRIAM MANGWAYA Nenzou appeared before magistrate Esthere Chivasa yesterday but was not asked to plead. The State opposed Nenzou’s bail application on the basis that he had connections abroad hence he was likely to abscond trial. The State further argued that Nenzou was likely to interfere with witnesses who were his subordinates as investigations were not yet complete. But on Monday, Nenzou, through his lawyer Willard Madzimbamuto, challenged his placement on remand arguing that allegations by the State did not constitute an offence and that  he was not a public officer as alleged by the State. Allegations are that on October 30, 2020, Nenzou wrote a letter to the Procurement Regulatory Authority  of Zimbabwe chief executive officer Nyasha Chizu,  requesting that Allied Timbers be exempted  from following the procurement procedures on procuring a sawmill machine from Germany company MS-Maschinenbau–GmbH. The request was, however, not granted and Chizu advised him to follow the proper procurement procedure. However, in February 2020, Nenzou awarded the Germany company the tender to supply the sawmill for US$1,1 million. The State further alleges that he even went to Germany to oversee the purchase. Allied Timber, however, did not have funds to pay for the sawmill. He then allocated one of Allied Timber’s estates, Tarka Estate plantation to Timber Care Investments, a Chinese company to settle US$1,1 million debt to MS-Maschinenbau–GmbH. Tarka Estate Plantation was valued at US$1 848 million and the Chinese company would credit the balance of US$720 000 to Allied Timber’s account. Chivasa will deliver her ruling on Nenzou’s bail application today.