By Paidashe Mandivengerei
Prominent business mogul and Sakunda Holdings boss, Kudakwashe Tagwirei, today (Monday) snubbed the Tendai Biti led Public Accounts Parliamentary Committee citing he was out of the country.
President Mnagagwa’s advisor and close ally, Tagwirei was to appear before the committee to submit oral evidence on the contracts his company got from the government on Command Agriculture and Presidential Input Scheme.
Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by Harare East legislator Tendai Biti alleged that money amounting to US$3 billion disappeared without trace under government’s command agriculture scheme which was managed by Sakunda.
In a letter addressed to Parliament Clerk, Kennedy Chokuda dated 7th of November this year by Sakunda Chief Operating Officer Mberikwazvo Chitambo, Tagwirei requested that the accounts committee send through their questions in writing and reschedule the meeting.
Biti described Tagwirei’s failure to appear before his committee as ‘contemptuous and disrespectful’.
“In the meantime, in order to aid the work of your esteemed committee whose role is very important in supervising government work, could I humbly request that the questions which the committee would like to ask Sakunda be remitted to us in writing whilst the CEO has travelled.
“I make this request with the view that the responses we shall proffer will help make rescheduled the meeting in a shorter, less time consuming and more productive.
“I thank you for your attention and beg your pardon if we have arrogated to ourselves the right to suggest the rescheduling of the meeting,” reads part of the letter.
The oil company recently had it’s bank accounts briefly frozen by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) following money-laundering accusations that were levelled against it.
Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has since washed it’s hands off the case saying no formal complaints had been lodged with the anti graft body.
