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Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
Suspended Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) chief executive David Chawota was yesterday granted $2 000 bail on charges of criminal abuse of office and concealing a personal interest in a transaction from his principal.

Justice Benjamin Chikowero granted Chawota $1 000 bail on each of the two charges.

On the charge of criminal abuse of office Chawota allegedly awarded a tender amounting to 27 900 000 euros to a Spanish company for the procurement of the country’s airspace management systems.

On the other charge of corruptly concealing from a principal a personal interest in a transaction Chawota is jointly charged with legal director in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development Angeline Karonga for allegedly awarding a company they owned a tender to supply bitumen to the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) before sharing US$1 234 004,72.

It is alleged that the pair formed a company called Akodac Consultancy Services in 2009 which was then awarded a tender in the same ministry in which Karinga is a director.

It is alleged that in January, 2012 the accused persons’ company made an application to the State Procurement Board (SPB) to be placed on the list of approved suppliers of bulk and drummed bitumen to enable it to participate in Government tenders.

The application was duly approved.

The accused’s company registered as a supplier of bitumen with ZINARA, a public entity under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.

The company supplied catmix and stable 60 which are products of the manufacturer of bitumen on 24 occasions from February 2, 2012 up to August 18, 2013.

The court heard that the accused supplied bitumen to Zinara, despite it falling within the same ministry where Karonga is the legal advisor and Chawota is a general manager of CAAZ, a public entity reporting to the same ministry.

Chawota is being represented by Advocate Sylvester Hashiti.