FORMER Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) board chair Stanley Kazhanje, who was recently caged three years following his conviction for concealing a US$10 000 transaction with controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo’s Intratrek Zimbabwe, has been freed on bail.
Kazhanje was freed on $1 000 bail by High Court Judge, Ammy Tsanga after spending a month at Chikurubi Maximum Prison.
This followed a successful application by his lawyer Garikayi Mhishi who was instructing Advocate Sylvester Hashiti.
“Whereupon after reading documents filed of record and hearing counsel, it is ordered that the applicant be and is hereby admitted to bail pending appeal on the following conditions,” said the Judge.
“The applicant shall reside at 12 Snipe Avenue, Mt Pleasant until the appeal is finalised.” Justice Tsanga said.
He was also ordered to surrender his passport and report every Friday at Marlborough Police Station.
Kazhanje was convicted by Harare Magistrate Hosea Mujaya after a full trial.
The State proved he received the money in order to cancel the controversial 100-megawatt Gwanda solar project which had been awarded to Chivayo’s company.
Chivayo is still on trial over the same matter.
Prosecutors also proved that the former chairman also failed to disclose that his company, Terminal Engineers, once did consultancy work for Chivayo.
The magistrate however scrapped two years of his sentence conditionally.
Prosecutor Brian Vito however proved that ZPC paid Intratrek advanced payments of $1 236 154 for implementation of the controversial project.
But Chivayo’s company did not carry out any meaningful work on the project resulting in ZPC suggesting termination of the contract.
The court heard that on January 21, 2016, and under unclear circumstances, Kazhanje received US$10 000 into his First Capital Bank personal account from Intratrek’s CBZ Bank account.
Kazhanje failed to declare his interests and presided over a meeting where the power utility resolved to directly pay Intratrek subcontractors instead of terminating the contract.
ZPC went on to pay $4 387 849 as advance payment despite Intratrek’s failure to fulfil its obligations.
The court heard that Kazhanje was influenced by this payment to decide in favour of Intratrek.
