Air Zimbabwe boss spills beans

By Tendai Kamhungira

HARARE – Former Air Zimbabwe (Private) Limited manager and company secretary Grace Nyaradzai Pfumbidzai, facing fraud charges, yesterday claimed that some board members had “falsely raised charges against her to protect their business interests.”

Pfumbidzai, 49, is jointly charged with Peter Chikumba, 59, and Innocent Mavhunga, 53.

During her bail application yesterday, Pfumbidzai, through her lawyer Andrew Muvirimi, told Harare magistrate Tendai Mahwe that she was targeted by the former airline’s board chairperson Ozias Bvute and the firm’s non-executive director Nathan Chikono, who is also Champions Insurance’s managing director.

Pfumbidzai, who worked for the airline for 29 years, claims she was targeted after she queried the awarding of lucrative contracts to companies associated with the two board members.

According to Muvirimi, Champions Insurance has since taken over management of the airline’s insurance portfolio, without the involvement of the Tender Board.

He said her client raised the issue of conflict of interest, which did not go down well with the board members.

“Second accused (Pfumbidzai) for interfering with the process stepped on some pretty delicate toes and was headed for a collision course with the board, hence the reason they started looking for matters which happened with Air Zimbabwe Holdings (Private) Limited,” Muvirimi said.

Muvirimi further told the court that the State had no strong case against his client. He said complaints against her were being raised by the board of Air Zimbabwe (Private) Limited, yet the issues relate to a separate entity, Air Zimbabwe Holdings (Private) Limited.

He also queried if it was by coincidence that the airline’s banking account which was previously with CBZ is now with Metropolitan Bank, where Bvute is a group chief executive officer (CEO).

Muvirimi said it was not by coincidence that the chairperson of the disciplinary board that determined his client’s case was from a law firm, whose senior partner is a member of the board of directors of Metropolitan Bank.

“We do not have Air Zimbabwe Holdings (Private) Limited complaining in this matter. This is the reason I indicated that the directors of Air Zimbabwe (Private) Limited have strong reasons to falsely incriminate second accused (Pfumbidzai) in this matter,” Muvirimi said.

Muvirimi together with Ticharwa Garabga, who appeared on behalf of Mavhunga, the airline’s acting group CEO, but currently on suspension, told the court that their clients were suitable candidates for bail and would not abscond if freed.

Garabga said Mavhunga was innocent until proven guilty and hence was entitled to his freedom.

Mahwe postponed the bail ruling to today.

Pfumbidzai is appearing on another record together with Peter Chikumba, Air Zimbabwe’s ex-boss, and currently Celebration Centre’s CEO. The two are accused of criminal abuse of duty as public officers and fraud.

Their bail application on the matter was deferred to today before magistrate Vakayi Douglas Chikwekwe.

The court heard that charges against Pfumbidzai and Chikumba arose last year, after an anomaly was discovered by Bvute, on amounts paid between April 2009 and April 2013, to a company called Navistar Insurance Brokers (Private) Limited in respect of aviation insurance premiums.

State alleges the duo enlisted the services of Navistar to provide aviation and insurance cover, without going to tender, while services of other existing companies were terminated.

The two are further accused of inflating aviation insurance premiums together with their alleged accomplices, Givemore Nderere, Vukile Hlupo and Orten Mawire, who are still at large.

Inflated payments were allegedly made to Colemont Reinsurance Brokers (Private) Limited and Reinsurance Brokers (Private) Limited, both United Kingdom-based companies.

The firm allegedly released €15 452, 93 to Navistar, €10 607 859, 22 to the two British companies, while they pocketed €5 895 695, 49.

In May 2009, it is alleged the duo and their three accomplices on the run, also misrepresented to Air Zimbabwe that there was an urgent need for the airline to pay $142 300 to the European Commission to dodge sanctions.

They allegedly converted the money to their own use.

The court heard that Pfumbidzai and Mavhunga originated fictitious debit notes in the sum of $1 659 276, 58 in 2012.

The money was purportedly requested for the aviation insurance premiums for two leased A320 airbuses.

The transaction was reportedly intercepted by auditors, but the airline had already released $360 448, 68, the court heard.

It is alleged the duo further claimed $800 000 for aviation insurance, but the board later discovered that the premiums were fully covered during the period. Daily News