Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) Director General Gift Machengete is now a free man after the State dropped all charges against him with indications that he had been wrongfully accused.
The Potraz boss was languishing on remand for the past seven months after he was released on $500 bail. The special prosecuting team had been going in circles without proceeding with the matter until it had to be referred back to the National Prosecuting Authority which later withdrew charges.
Prosecuting, Michael Reza made an application before Regional Magistrate Hosea Mujaya to have all charges against the POTRAZ boss dropped and it was granted.
Allegations were that sometime in December last year, Potraz resolved to procure CVICs,which were going to be mounted countrywide.
The State alleges in February, Machengete wrote to the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz) requesting a waiver of procurement regulations to enable the authority to purchase CVICs through quotations because container conversion was a specialised skill.
It was alleged on February 12, Praz wrote back to Machengete advising them to procure through the normal tender process.
Instead, on February 15, Machengete, in violation of the Procurement Act approved a memo recommending sourcing of quotations for the supply of CVICs from four companies.
