Wadyajena granted bail in usual corruption 'catch and release' gimmicks

HARARE – ZANU PF member of parliament for Gokwe-Nembudziya, Justice Mayor Wadyajena and accomplices were granted Z$200 000 bail each in US$5 million graft case while being ordered to surrender passports and report to police once every Friday.

Wadyajena embezzled millions of dollars from the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco) in an elaborate corruption before buying 25 transport trucks.

He faces $5 million fraud and money laundering charges along with four other people and two firms, including his Mayor Logistics.

The other arrested are Cottco officials Pius Manamike, Maxmore Njanji and Fortunate Molai, and Pierpont Moncroix Director Chiedza Danha on fraud and money laundering charges.

According to court documents, in 2019 Wadyajena and his co-accused hatched a plan to defraud Cottco by purchasing fictitious goods allegedly for the company’s use.

They reportedly opened a storage company called Pierpont Moncroix, which was later recommended by Molai to ship 3 million High Carbon Bale Ties for Cottco worth $2.6 million for the ginning season of 2019.

According to the State, the name of the company created by the defendant was the same as that of a Mauritian company with the aim of misleading Cottco.

On March 14, 2019, the crew allegedly approved a fraudulent purchase order in favor of Pierpont Moncroix Mauritius worth US$2,528,000 claiming that Pierpont Moncroix Mauritius would supply 3,200,000 bullet binders to Cottco.

Instead of importing the bales, Wadyajena and his colleagues reportedly imported 25 trucks in 2019 and 2020 from an American company called Giant Equipment.