HARARE – Businessman James Ross Goddard on Tuesday cleared two of four MPs in an ongoing parliament-led probe into bribery allegations.
Testifying before Parliament’s Privileges Committee, Goddard said two MPs Leonard Chikomba (Gokwe Kabuyuni, Zanu PF) and Prince Sibanda (Binga North, MDC) demanded a $400,000 bribe through Shepherd Tundiya, a controversial contractor named in corruption scandals at Hwange.
Goddard however withdrew similar allegations against Temba Mliswa (Norton) and Anele Ndebele (Magwegwe), saying the two – who were members of the portfolio committee on Mines and Energy – had left the room when the request for the bribe was made.
The four MPs met Goddard at his Harare office together with Tundiya last November, ahead of a trip to Hwange by their committee.
Goddard told the Privileges Committee chaired by Chief Charumbira that after Mliswa and Ndebele left the room, Chikomba “aggressively” pushed for a “facilitation” fee. In return, he said, they would secure Goddard contracts at the coal mine.
Chikomba had even supplied his private account number in which Goddard was to deposit $200,000 – half the amount – saying he would need to receive “something” before the MPs travelled.
“It (facilitation fee) was raised by Honourable Chikomba and Honourable Sibanda that we can’t go to Hwange without something and it was Honourable Chikomba who was the most aggressive,” Goddard said.
Simon Musapatika, the lawyer for Chikomba, said Goddard had tendered no evidence to back up his claims.
Freddy Masarirewhu, for Sibanda, said Goddard had failed to stand up the allegations with evidence, insisting that the MP made no such request for a bribe.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Mliswa said: “The truth will always come out. The conspiracy to frame me into a false $400,000 scandal dies out.”
The hearing was continuing on Wednesday.
