BULAWAYO – FOUR chartered accountant companies have presented bids to go through the books of Hwange Colliery Company Limited, in a bid to haul evidence that could nail former managing director, Thomas Makore on charges of corruption and maladministration, it has emerged.

Price Water House Coopers, Delloite and Touché, KPMG, and a fourth chartered accountant who was at one time attached to the Colliery Company, presented their bids last week, ZimLive.com has learnt.

“The board invited companies to present their bids and there are four that made representations last week on their capabilities. Their task will be to go through the books to determine the level of corruption that visited Hwange under Makore’s tenure,” said a senior Hwange executive who declined to be named.

The Julian Muskwe-led board, the sources said, suspects that Makore, working with senior government officials, milked millions of dollars through underhand dealings while at the helm of the mine.

Suspicion is that the former managing director had cut several deals in the procurement of goods, services, and mining equipment deals that could have prejudiced the company of millions of dollars.

Makore was relieved of his duties in May after the board ratcheted up pressure on him to step down in the face of the company’s waning fortunes.

Hwange’s balance sheet has been deteriorating in recent years from a positive shareholders’ equity of $37,2 million in 2014 to a negative $167,7 million in 2016.

Its liabilities outstripped assets by $168 million.

Workers have at times gone for months without salaries and at some point the company planned to sell its properties to sustain operations.

Makore’s lawyers have insisted that his departure from the company was by mutual consent as the relationship between their client and employer was no longer healthy.

While Makore slides into the quiet world of fewer hassles, the government, which is the major shareholder in Hwange Colliery, is locked in bitter war with other shareholders over the appointment of a new board to run the affairs of the coalminer.

Mines Minister Winston Chitando recently named six appointees the government wanted assigned to the HCCL board to run the affairs of the company.

The six are Allan Mashingaidze, former chief executive of Metallon Gold Zimbabwe, Anna Kunda, a lawyer, Flora Ngwenya who was formerly a customer relations and logistics analyst at the coal mine, Roger Williams, the Zimasco services director and Valentine Vera who is director of the metallurgy department in the Mines Ministry and Edward Mazorodze.

However, other shareholders railed off the plan, insisting the current board should be allowed to continue in office until it concluded its fact-finding mission on Makore’s tenure of office, the corruption allegations, and maladministration, among other things.