The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission arrested former City of Harare Chamber Secretary Josphine Ncube and ex-Director of Works Phillip Mabingo Pfukwa on fraud and abuse of office charges linked to a €350 500 (US$465 290.00) European Union (EU) grant for the Mbare Biogas Project.
They have since appeared at Harare Magistrate Court and were remanded to May 14 on $400 bail.
Allegations are that sometime in 2013, the European Union awarded the City of Harare a €350,500 grant to design and construct biogas digesters and install a 100KVA biogas generator in Mbare.
The City of Harare allegedly launched a public call for a tender in 2015 to select a contractor, in terms of the now repealed Procurement Act (Chapter 22:14).
Investigations revealed that Pfukwa and Ncube acted in common purpose to sidestep protocols and unlawfully award the US$465 290.00 contract to Synlak Investments (Pvt) Limited, a company owned by Moses Mpofu, which did not have the requisite experience.
Synlak Investments (Pvt) failed to deliver despite full payment of US$465 290.00, leading to financial prejudice to the City of Harare.
