MPs forced to buy cars from Chombo

The scam came to light after 10 members of parliament (MPs) legislators from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirais Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were arrested in Harare last Wednesday for allegedly causing mayhem at the offices of Finance Minister Tendai Biti where they had gone to enquire about their vehicle loans.

The MPs denied they were unruly and instead alleged that their only crime was to refuse to use a garage said to be operated by Chombo or the state-run Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries (WMMI) to buy vehicles under the parliament car loan scheme.

The MDC legislators claim that their arrest was linked to a dispute they have had with some officials at the Finance Ministry who are directing MPs to go to Buzzer Busters, garage that is allegedly run by Chombo.

The people in the Ministry of Finance are directing MPs to go and get some vehicles from Ignatius Chombos garage, called Buzzer Busters, and people are saying we cant be forced to go to that garage, Makoni South legislator Pishai Muchauraya told the media last week.

Finance permanent secretary Willard Manungo and Chombo could not be reached for comment over the allegations last week.

Muchauraya said each parliamentarian was entitled to a loan of US$30 000 to buy a vehicle of their choice.

Zanu (PF)-linked businesses

The dispute arose after some MPs refused to enrich Zanu (PF)-linked businesses, especially since they would be required to pay back the money.

We want to get vehicles from the garages of our own choice. There is no way we can be forced to go and give money back to Zanu (PF), said the Makoni South legislator.

The 10 legislators were released on Thursday but the police have indicated that they would seek legal opinion from the Attorney Generals Office on how to proceed with the matter.

Human rights lawyer Tafadzwa Mugabe said the MPs were released without any conditions although charges of breaching peace being preferred against the lawmakers still stood.

The police said they are sending the docket to the AGs Office for legal opinion on how to proceed, said Mugabe.

The legislators were initially released from police custody late Wednesday night but were told to report back to Harare Central Police Station on Thursday morning.

They were then released unconditionally after the police failed to get a complainant on the matter.

The 10 are Muchauraya, Prosper Mutseyami, Cephas Makuyana, Margret Matienga, Felix Mafa, Simon Hove, Piniel Denga, Amos Chibaya, Shepherd Madamombe and another one whose name was name immediately available.

(Xhead) Corruption allegations

The corruption allegations against Chombo are the second in a week for the minister who was also fingered in a scam involving the awarding of a Harare City Council tender for the dualisation of the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Expressway (formerly Airport Road) in the capital.

A privately-owned weekly last week alleged that the minister together with members of a caretaker council he appointed to run Harares affairs last year hand-picked a Ukrainian company to act as the contractor for the road project without going to tender.

The paper quoted records of Harare City Council meetings saying that the MDC-dominated local authority had since ordered a probe into the award of the tender, particularly the personal relationships of the caretaker councillors and the Ukrainian firm.

The arrest of the 10 MDC legislators is likely to worsen tensions between the MDC and President Robert Mugabes Zanu (PF) party which have accused each other during the past two weeks of reneging on commitments made under last years power-sharing agreement that gave birth to the coalition government.

The MDC accuses Zanu (PF) which still controls the police and attorney generals department of ordering the arrest of several of the former opposition partys legislators in a bid to whittle down its slender majority in Parliament.