BERNARD MPOFU
Former President Robert Mugabe’s son-in-law, Simba Chikore is under the spotlight of the special anti-corruption unit after a report was lodged implicating him of forgery and abuse of office at state-owned Zimbabwe Airways, Business Times has established.
A former chief operating officer at Air Zimbabwe (Air Zim), Chikore courted controversy in 2016 when he was involved in the setting up of a rival airline while he was still serving at Air Zim.
Sources at President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s anti-corruption unit told this paper that a dossier had been submitted to the anti-graft unit as well as to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission among other government entities alleging Chikore’s involvement in fraudulent activities at Zimbabwe Airways.
According to sources and documents gleaned by Business Times, Chikore played an instrumental role in taking delivery of the first Boeing 777 jet from Malaysian Airlines early this year despite reservations from local engineers who told him that Zimbabwe had no adequate maintenance and storage resources for aircraft. The plane is back in Malaysia where it is being kept.
The sources said at a meeting held between Zimbabwe Airways, Zimbabwe Aviation Leasing Company and Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe on May 19 this year, it was agreed that the aircraft could not be maintained in Zimbabwe as the company had not even commenced the certification application process.
Zimbabwe Airways is yet to apply to the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe for an Air Operator’s License which would enable the airline to fly the aircraft commercially, thereby generating income and keeping the asset maintained.
The dossier also implicates Chikore who was employed by Zimbabwe Airways as a consultant of forcing company officials to deposit funds into his account without following due procedure.
“The former minister of Transport Joram Gumbo instructed officials at Zimbabwe Airways to return the Boeing 777 to Malaysia while Chikore was in the United Kingdom undergoing Boeing simulator training. While in the UK he requested $20 000 to be transferred into his personal account for personal use. He was advised that two signatories were required and he allegedly ordered one of the signatories to fraudulent append the signature of the other signatory. The first signatory refused,” a source said.
Chikore, sources added, then asked the former minister of Transport to request the money on his behalf from a local commercial bank. The bank (name supplied) refused to release the funds saying the minister was not a signatory at Zimbabwe Airways. “Chikore allegedly sent WhatsApp messages to one of the signatories requesting for the said funds. After his request was turned down working relations with his finance team became sour,” a source said.
The details also come at a time fresh details have emerged showing that Chikore is not an aviation captain but a first officer although he has publicly claimed that he is one. Government bought four Boeing 777-200 planes from Malaysia Airlines through their sole agent PricewaterhouseCoopers Kuala Lumpur for its special purpose vehicle called Zimbabwe Aviation Leasing Company which would in turn lease out the aircraft to Zim Airways.
In October 2016, government entered into an agreement with Malaysian Airline System Berha for the sale and purchase of the four aircraft. But government later decided to buy two Boeing 777s for $18,5 million and $16,5 million and later resolved to buy two Embraers using Treasury Bills.
Dogged by the controversy surrounding Zimbabwe Airways deal, new Transport minister Joel Biggie Matiza last week said the airline would merge with Air Zim to make the business viable.
Under this arrangement Air Zim will fly local and regional routes such as Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo while Zimbabwe Airways would international routes.
