TOURISM MINISTRY DIRECTOR NABBED
THE Ministry of Environment, Climate and Hospitality Industry’s deputy procurement director was yesterday taken to court charged with criminal abuse of duty.
He reportedly awarded a tender to a company that had not gone through all due processes.
The suspect Blessed Ishmael Murwira Majiga (39) was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna and he was remanded to today for placement on remand.
Allegations are that on September 15 last year, the ministry issued a standard bidding document under procurement reference number METCHI 013 inviting interested bidders to submit bids for the procurement of two aircrafts for the 2020-21 national cloud seeding.
Four bidders namely J.R Investments, Nineteen Twenty (Pvt) Limited, Cypritaf and Central air transport services responded by submitting their bids however J.R Investments submitted a bid of two aircrafts knowing well that one of the aircrafts submitted in the bid a Baron 58 aircraft was undergoing major maintenance and was registered under private category, making it legally not compliant to carry out cloud seeding.
The court heard that on November 4, the evaluation team, which Majiga was part of, inspected J.R Investments which produced one aircraft that was not mounted with cloud seeding doors, there was no flare dispenser units and also could not produce two way communication and Nineteen Twenty had one aircraft which could not be modified.
Cypritaf was also inspected and they produced two twin engine aircrafts and their documentation
and a ground test was done.
Further evaluation was done at J.R Investments and they produced a second aircraft that was visibly out of service and was on jacks and engines opened up showing that it was undergoing a major service according to the 12 year
mandatory engine overhaul.
Mjiga reportedly then recommended the use of J.R Investments aircraft which was not suitable in the circumstances and was non-compliant to the standard bidding document, contrary to his duties as a public officer.