HARARE businessman Farai Jere and two Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) senior managers, Leonard Chisina and Freeman Chikonzo, were Thursday granted bail by the High Court.
The trio had lodged an appeal at the High Court after Harare magistrate Lazini Ncube ruled that Jere and the ZESA officials were a flight risk.
Ncube said “the accused are men of means and are capable of absconding if granted bail.”
However, the High Court on Thursday acceded to the trio’s application, albeit with stringent bail conditions.
The fraud-accused CAPS United boss and the ZESA officials were ordered to pay ZWL20, 000 bail and to remain at given address until the matter is finalized.
They were also asked to surrender their passports and to report once a week at a given police station.
The CAPS United boss and his co-accused are said to have defrauded ZESA of US$3,566, 878 in a botched meters deal
It is the State’s case that in 2016, Jere won a tender to supply ZETDC with 1 151 smart meters and a head-end system at a cost of US$3,566, 878.
However, Jere is alleged to have produced a fake factory acceptance test visit report to the effect that the smart meters and head-end system met ZETDC’s standards.
Chisina and Chikonzo stand accused of signing the fake report.
