BY REX MPHISA/ TAURAI MANGUDHLA EMBATTLED Gokwe-Nembudziya MP Justice Mayor Wadyajena (Zanu PF) had his two South Africa-bound super cars impounded at Beitbridge Border Post on Friday.
A senior Customs and Excise official said they had no information pertaining to the Lamborghini and BMW X6m, but instructions had specifically come from the top.
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“We are holding the cars on instructions only, you can get more information from the President’s Department,” said the official who asked for anonymity.
#LATEST 🔴Gokwe-Nembudziya MP (@ZANUPF_Official) @JusticeMayorW remanded in custody to Thursday for continuation of bail hearing. Wadyajena has been charged with corruption involving US$5 million alongside 4 others and 2 companies pic.twitter.com/SLgFVaLTZW
— NewsDay Zimbabwe (@NewsDayZimbabwe) August 17, 2022
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On Tuesday, Wadyadyena was arrested alongside two Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco) officials, managing director Pious Manamike, marketing manager Maxmore Njanji and acting procurement manager Fortunate Molai on charges of misappropriating US$5,8 million.
They were granted $200 000 bail each on Thursday when they appeared before Harare magistrate Stanford Mambanje facing fraud and money-laundering charges.
Meanwhile, the Cottco board of directors has repossessed a top of the range Toyota Land Cruiser VX-R vehicle which had been issued to Manamike.
Manamike and Njani were suspended and arrested in July for corruption.
“I don’t know why they only took Manamike’s vehicle and not Njani’s, but it could be that Njanji’s vehicle is much older and possibly he had already paid for it under the company’s vehicle scheme,” a source said.
#BREAKING 🔴Wadyajena arrested on US$5 million fraud and money laundering. pic.twitter.com/MWrT2RmDQO
— NewsDay Zimbabwe (@NewsDayZimbabwe) August 16, 2022
Cottco board chairperson Sifelani Jabangwe confirmed that the company had repossessed Manamike’s vehicle.
“His suspension from Cottco is without benefits. The car is part of benefits withdrawn,” Jabangwe said, adding that the duo was also not being paid their monthly salaries.
In a related development, investigations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission into reports of corruption are being cast wider to include the procurement team and other senior officials at Cottco.