HARARE – Businessman Mike Chimombe on Thursday took the state to task challenging prosecution to prove how he is linked to the Harare City Council streetlights tender scandal involving US$9 million.

Chimombe was arrested by officers from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) at a time he was already languishing in remand prison over a goat supply tender scandal.

Through his lawyer Ashiel Mugiya, Chimombe said he has nothing to do with the streetlights deal and went on to challenge his placement on remand.

He said he is not an employee or director of Juluka Enndo Joint Venture, the company at the centre of the Harare streetlighting tender scandal.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the second accused is disassociating himself from the company,” his lawyer said.

“There are no facts arising from these charges that link the second accused in any way to the commission of the offence. The state did not clarify the role the accused person played in the commission of the offence in his own capacity.”

On his part, co-accused Moses Mpofu did not challenge his placement on remand.

Appearing for the State, Anesu Chirenje told the court that the business partners criminally misrepresented facts when they submitted their list of previous works for consideration for the tender.

“The accused submitted in their bid that they had the specific required experience document that they related to streetlighting by falsely submitting that they hand undertaken light bulb installations in Harare Central Business District (CBD).

“They also falsely submitted that they had done Christmas lights installation for the City of Harare.

“Further, the accused misrepresented that they were compliant with the requirements of the general regulations which required the payment of special procurement oversight committee fee of US$400 by submitting in their bid document receipt they had used in their earlier bid which had been disqualified.

“They also submitted a bid security obtained on March 26, 2024, which they had also earlier used in the previous unsuccessful tender.

“They further proceeded to submit audit documents which they claimed were done by a consultancy company, which investigations revealed was unregistered.”

The State alleges that after the awarding of the tender, Mpofu signed the required documents as the managing director of the company, Juluka Enndo and Chimombe signed as a witness before they received US$260,000 part payment.

“By so doing, the accused persons knowingly submitted documents containing false statements … or realising that there was a real risk or possibility that it may do so intending to deceive City of Harare or realising that there was a real risk or possibility that city of Harare may be deceived by their use of the documents,” said the state.

The presiding magistrate Stanford Mambanje rolled over the matter to this Friday for continuation of bail hearing.