Incarcerated country representative for the discredited Drax SAGL and Drax International companies, Delish Nguwaya was yesterday denied bail at the magistrates court, mainly because of the public uproar attracted by the two companies’ high-profile fraud case, Zwnews reports.
The High Court has since reserved judgement on Nguwaya’s contestation against the decision by the magistrates court to deny him bail
Nguwaya is being accused of misrepresenting to the Government that Drax SAGL was a medical firm in a bid to bag a US$40 million Covid19 medical supplies tender. It later emerged that the company is just a consultancy firm.
Nguwaya, who has been languishing in remand prison, was denied bail by Harare magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti who also ruled that he was a flight risk owing to the seriousness of the alleged offence which invariably attracts a lengthy custodial sentence in the event of a conviction.
Muchuchuti justified her bail denial ruling in light of the public uproar which precipitated the Covidgate scandal.
Nguwaya’s case has also sucked in embattled Health and Child Care minister Obadiah Moyo who authorised a US$2 million medicine supply deal through NatPharm.
Using the same modus operandi, Nguwaya also won a supply deal worth US$40 million through Drax International.
Minister Moyo is out on $50 000 bail amid heightening calls for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to dismiss him from Government.
High judge Justice Pisirayi Kwenda has reserved Nguwaya’s bail ruling for Monday next week.
Zwnews
