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Two top Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA) executives have been hauled before the courts facing allegations of corruption and obstruction of justice.
The duo, Human Resources Administrator Gilfern Moyo and Finance Director Adam Zvandasara appeared before Magistrate Ngoni Nduna.
Zinara Chief Executive Nkosinathi Nyathi is also implicated in the case although he did not appear before the courts.
It is the state’s case that sometime between October 7 and 26 this year, ZINARA CEO Nyathi, Moyo and Zvandasara with the intent to defeat or obstruct the course of justice transferred complainants Jeremiah Singende to Skyline tollgate, Munyaradzi Tongoona to Eskbank toll gate, Tonderai Marange to Infralink and Nathaniel Tembo to Management Accounting from ZINARA head office’s finance department.
This was after Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) approached the entity with a warrant of search and seizure to obtain certain documents they needed to investigate the parastatal.
The documents were presented to the corruption watchdog by company Corporate Secretary View Mutize, but when ZACC returned for clarity, the witnesses had been transferred and locked out of ZINARA head office.
It is alleged that since the trio knew that ZACC was investigating allegations of criminal abuse of office and that the complainants were assisting with the investigations, the transfer was calculated to prejudice them.
Meanwhile, the State led by Netsai Mushayabasa and Audrey Chogumaira caught the Zinara executives’ legal counsel Marufu Mandevere off guard as they made a novel application to have him removed from the case as he was an interested party.
The state cited that his representation had a conflict of interest as he was an external legal advisor to ZINARA and was not fit to represent them.
Mandevere stammered before the court in trying to justify his legal representation after telling the court that this was more of a labour related issue than a criminal case.
“The matter which is before you is not a complaint from ZINARA against the accused persons. I would be not able to represent them.
“What is being alleged is the decision from the organisation through its Board. The organisation is responsible.
“There is no conflict of interest and whatever the allegations, it was in the scope of the company. ZINARA has no interest of the charges being levelled against the accused persons,” he said.
Magistrate Nduna remanded them in custody to November 23 for the determination of whether Mandevere could legally represent them. Nhau/Indaba
