Chiyangwa’s ex-consultant engineer freed
By Ivan Zhakata
HARARE – Businessman Philip Chiyangwa’s former consultant engineer Elijah Chifamba has been cleared of fraud charges levelled against him by the flamboyant tycoon.
Chifamba allegedly fleeced Chiyangwa’s Pinnacle Property Holdings of nearly $3 million, had earlier sued Pinnacle for failing to pay him $1,2 million for his services.
A police document seen by the Daily News indicates that Chifamba’s prosecution was declined due to lack of evidence.
Chifamba insists that he did not commit the alleged offence and alleges Chiyangwa had pressed the charges to evade paying him.
He is a registered civil engineer and director of E.Chifamba and Partners, a company in the Engineering Consultancy.
On August 27, 2012, Chifamba appeared before Harare magistrate Anita Tshuma on fraud charges after he allegedly swindled the tycoon’s company of nearly $3 million.
He was reportedly engaged by the company’s managing director Marshall Jonga in December 2009 to perform engineering consultancy for the remainder of Stoneridge and Beverly Hills Golf Estate projects.
Jonga and Chifamba agreed that Pinnacle Holdings would foot the payments, it was alleged.
According to state papers, Chifamba’s role was to receive quotations and bids from various service providers and recommend the right candidates for the job.
Tarcon Private Limited was awarded the job as a result of Chifamba’s recommendations.
During the course of his consultancy, it is alleged that Chifamba made Tarcon inflate quotation bills to Pinnacle Holdings through the inclusion of what he deemed “service fees.”
On the other hand, Chifamba, without Jonga’s knowledge, then claimed the same service fees from Tarcon.
It was alleged that as a result of Chifamba’s actions, Pinnacle Holdings suffered an actual prejudice of $72 850 through fraudulent payments received from Tarcon and a potential prejudice of $2 916 149 arising from suspected inflation of Tarcon quotations by Chifamba. Daily News
