Former Energy and Power Development Minister Samuel Undenge was today acquitted on the criminal abuse of office charges following his alleged involvement in the awarding of the Gwanda Solar project tender to maverick businessman Wicknell Chivayo.
According to the state, Undenge allegedly gave an order to Zimbabwe Power Company to award the Gwanda Solar Power Project deal to Chivayo without following due process.
Harare Magistrate Barbra Chimbodza ruled that the state failed to prove its case and that the witnesses’ evidence was a smear campaign to blame Undenge without giving any tangible evidence.
She added that the ZPC board was organized and if anything, the witnesses exposed themselves.
Undenge is alleged to have misrepresented that Chivayo had capacity to implement the Gwanda solar project, directing the ZPC accounting Officer Noah Gwariro to award a $172 848 597 tender to Intratek.
The court heard that on October 23, 2015 ZPC acted on the misrepresentation and signed a contract with Chivayo for implementation of the project with $5 607 814, 24 released into Chivayo’s Intratek bank account for the project to take off.
Undenge out on a $1 000 bail challenging the four-year jail term for corruption regarding the power utility company to work with Fruitful Communications led by Psychology Maziwisa and Oscar Pambuka.
The pair benefited $12 000 from the power company.
Undenge was being represented by Alex Muchadehama.
