Health Minister Obadiah Moyo has finally been arrested over the Covid-19 tender scandal that saw him allow a dodgy company, Drax International to get a US$42 million contract to supply Covid-19 drugs and equipment without going to tender.
According to multiple reports the Minister he is being held at Rhodesville Police Station in Harare. Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) spokesperson Commissioner John Makamure confirmed the arrest. The minister is likely to appear in court tomorrow (Saturday).
Delish Nguwaya, the “local” representative of Drax International was arrested last week and is in remand prison after he was denied bail. Three senior officials from NatPharm who were also involved in the tender scam, appeared in court Wednesday and were granted $10 000 bail each.
Collins Mnangagwa, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube and his Permanent Secretary George Guvamatanga and Health minister Obadiah Moyo were allegedly involved in the scandal.
Collins and controversial businessman Delish Nguwaya (see picture) are the key suspects while the president’s top bodyguard, Valdano Brown, won lucrative contracts to supply Covid-19 equipment to the ministry of health without going through a competitive bidding process.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has opted to sacrifice Health minister Obadiah Moyo in the Covidgate scandal that involves his son Collins, analysts have alleged.
Obadiah Moyo was arrested on Friday evening by Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) officials over a USD 60 million scandal that saw Drax International being awarded a tender without the requisite paperwork. ZACC spokesperson John Makamure confirmed the arrest.
“I can confirm that Minister Moyo has been arrested and is currently in police custody. That’s all I say for now,” he said.
Delish Nguwaya, the local representative of Drax International, is currently in remand prison after he was denied bail on Monday.
One of the front runners in exposing the scandal, award winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono piled more pressure on Mnangagwa’s government through stories and tweets. “I have been told by legal sources that Obadiah “DJ Biscuit” Moyo has been locked up at Rhodesville Police Station. I am waiting for a confirmation of the charges! His arrest in a normal country would result in an automatic FIRING. But Biscuit is Mnangagwa’s clansman. Wait & see,” Chin’ono tweeted.
Collins Mnangagwa, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube and his Permanent Secretary George Guvamatanga and Health minister Obadiah Moyo were allegedly involved in the scandal.
Collins and controversial businessman Delish Nguwaya are the key suspects while the president’s top bodyguard, Valdano Brown, won lucrative contracts to supply Covid-19 equipment to the ministry of health without going through a competitive bidding process.
The two companies allegedly belong to a group of firms owned or controlled by the First Family. Only Nguwaya and Moyo have been arrested so far.
Moyo is a second minister in Mnangagwa’s regime followed by former Tourism minister Prisca Mupfumira whose Nassa scandal of 2019 is still in the court and she is out.
