Witness discredited in ZESA bosses trial

By Zvikomborero Parafini

The trial of former ZESA CEO Joshua Chifamba, former Energy Minister Elton Mangoma and ZESA Enterprises managing director Tererai Mutasa continued yesterday with their lawyers discrediting the State’s witness for testifying hearsay evidence as he wasn’t employed by the entity when the said offences were committed.

The three are facing criminal abuse of office charges in which it is alleged that they corruptly awarded a $3 million tender to a South Korean Company, Techpro Private Limited, for the manufacture of switch gears in 2011.

Prosecuting, Zivanai Macharaga was leading evidence from its second witness ZESA Enterprises business development and commercial executive and Managing Director Burutsa Mandipezano who took over from Mutasa.

Macharaga tendered minutes of meetings that were held before Mandipezano had assumed office which the defence calculated to hearsay evidence as he didn’t perceive with his own senses in the alleged meetings.

In cross examination, representing Mutasa Advocate Givemore Madzoka, Mandipezano agreed with the defence’s point of view that he was a stranger to the matter as he joined the parastatal much later in 2015 and was working in Zambia at a company with no relationship with the subsidiary.

Mandipezano also told the court that to date, there was no resolution from ZESA for the three to be arrested.

Admire Rubaya representing Chifamba suggested that the Techpro file which was allegedly recovered from Mutasa’s office could have been tempered with as quite a number of people had access to his office.

The matter was remanded to this Thursday for trial continuation. H-Metro