‘ZAAC, police haven’t investigated bogus Namibian company Jaji’ – Hopewell Chin’ono

By Nyashadzashe Ndoro | Nehanda Politics |

Award-winning investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has expressed displeasure with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and police for not investigating corruption allegations against a “shelf company called Jaji based in Namibia” that “looted Covid-19 public funds” in Zimbabwe.

This followed a Covid-19 supplies corruption scandal that erupted last year, implicating President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s bodyguard Valdano Brown and his son Collins in the graft allegations.

Collins was embroiled in a R17m (US$1m) personal protective equipment (PPE) while Brown allegedly won lucrative contracts to supply Covid-19 equipment to the Ministry of Health without going through a competitive bidding process.

The two have been allegedly linked to foreign registered firms, Drax International in Dubai and Jaji Investments in Namibia.

Drax International representative Delish Nguwaya and then Health Minister Obadiah Moyo were later implicated in the US$60 million Drax Covidgate scandal before they were arrested and released on bail.

On Wednesday, Chin’ono reposted graft allegations against Jaji claiming it supplied goods worth US$300 and got paid US$66375 using “a Standard Bank account that doesn’t exist!”

Chin’ono questioned ZACC and the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU) created by the President for failing to investigate corruption allegations levelled against the company.

“In order to understand how the police and ZACC are not addressing real corruption and looting cases;

“I reported that a shelf company called Jaji based in Namibia got a Zimbabwe Government tender.

“It supplied goods worth US$300 and got paid US$66375,” he said.

Chin’ono added: “It used a Standard Bank account that doesn’t exist! The Namibian Ministry of Finance gave me evidence that this shelf company NEVER operated in Namibia as lied by the company, it is below 👇🏿!

“The company also lied that it was formed in 2013, the Namibian Government gave me documentation showing that it was formed in 2015.

“I made all these documents available publicly, but guess what, nobody from police to ZACC to SACU bothered to pursue this!

“So their rhetoric about dealing with corruption is bogus!

“They blame sanctions yet we have evidence showing that it is corruption and looting.”

Chin’ono also posted pictures of Mnangagwa with Dr Mushininga whom he alleged was behind the “bogus Namibian shelf company, Jaji, that looted Covid-19 public funds.”

After he exposed the corruption allegations against the first family last year, Chin’ono was arrested last year and charged with inciting public violence in connection with 31st July protests against corruption.

He was arrested together with opposition Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume and MDC Alliance Vice Chairman Job Sikhala.

They spent more than five weeks at the country’s largest and most notorious jail, the Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison before being released on bail by the High Court in Harare. Nehanda Radio