Businessman Grant Russell accused of ‘grand theft’ of public assets
The lease agreement between his company and Harare City Council is under the microscope especially after Marima's submissions.
Harare – A commission of inquiry on council affairs on Wednesday heard that there is a private company that manufactures tar that has been stationed at the Harare Quarry raising issues that council resources are being looted with the blessings of corrupt council officials,Express Mail Zim can report.
The company is called Truck and Construction and is owned by prominent businessman Grant Russell .
The company has been leasing at a council property Harare Quarry which is also in the same line of business of tar manufacturing and road rehabilitation.
This arrangement raises a stink.
“We manufacture tar for the government and the Harare council,” said a top official from the company who identified himself as Tendai Marima.
The commission of inquiry into council affairs is led by retired Justice Maphios Cheda.
Russell’s company also fixes roads around the country on several sites and has 18 trucks and 28 employees stationed at Harare Quarry in a questionable arrangement.
The lease agreement between the private company and Harare City Council (HCC) is under the microscope especially after Marima’s submissions.
Marima said the Truck and Construction company has been stationed at Harare Quarry since they were constructing the road to the Robert Mugabe International Airport in 2012.
Marima who testified in his vernacular Shona language could not tell the commission of inquiry his position at Truck and Construction company, he said he is just a top official who is a darling of “white people”.
“Ndingori munhu anofarirwa nevarungu (I am just a person that is liked by white people),” Marima said leaving the gallery in stitches.
When asked to give the commission the total revenue they make per annum, Marima was evasive and said he was not aware of the financial aspects at the company referring questions to Russel.
He however said they pay equivalent of US$2050 in local currency every month for renting a section of Harare Quarry.
But the lead evidence leader, Thabani Mpofu said Marima was being evasive and not giving out information to the commission.
“You are being evasive,” Mpofu said.
“This might be grand theft of public property.”
The commission said there are strong suspicions that Russell’s company is conniving with top city council officials to loot council resources at Harare Quarry.
Marima also told the commission that his company scoops water from Harare Quarry for the company’s road works without paying a single dollar to Harare City Council.
“I gather it is an arrangement between the friendship of our company and Harare Quarry,” he said.
The commission of inquiry has notified Marima that they would bring Russell to testify before it.
The commission of inquiry whose term was extended from six to nine months adjourned to December 2.
