THE Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) nearly lost US$2 million to a 35-year-old Harare man in a deal to supply printing materials to the law enforcers.
This emerged at the Harare Magistrates Court last week where the director of Preprco Investments, Langton Madara, was facing a charge of attempting to defraud the police force.
The complainant in the case is the ZRP represented by Inspector Vengai Mazarura, stationed at Police General Headquarters Procurement Management Unit in Harare.
State prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti told the court that sometime in 2022, ZRP advertised a tender for the supply of printing materials to the organisation.
The police were looking for reputable companies to supply printing paper in bulk and Madara responded to the advert and the police awarded him the tender.
Sometime in January last year, a contract was entered into between the ZRP, represented by Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga and Madara.
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The court heard that under the contract, the ZRP was required to make a 15% advance payment which was to be backed by a bank guarantee.
The cost of the printing material was US$1 684 448 with US$252 667 being advance payment.
The court heard that Madara was asked to supply the bank guarantee so that the payment could be processed and he allegedly produced a bank guarantee dated October 2, 2023 from FBC bank Samora Machel Avenue branch.
It was stamped and had a FBC letterhead.
However, the police decided to check the authenticity of the bank guarantee before paying.
The bank disowned it saying the document was doctored. FBC said the letterhead and date stamp on the bank guarantee were also fake, highlighting that this in email addressed to ZRP dated February 16, 2024.
Investigations proved that Madara had attempted to defraud the ZRP.
Madara was remanded to April 4 pending trial on US$100 bail after appearing before Harare magistrate Donald Ndirowei.
He was ordered to surrender his passport.