/ 7 December 2005

Chingoka, other Zim officials to be charged

Zimbabwe Cricket chairperson Peter Chingoka and managing director Osias Bvute will be charged with contravening the Exchange Control Act, police said Wednesday.

Chingoka and Bvute were arrested Tuesday and remain in police custody.

The Associated Press has obtained a copy of the letter detailing 80 questions the pair have faced. Such as whether Bvute bought a house worth US$55 000 using a sponsor’s check from this year’s one-day series against New Zealand.

Other questions include: ”Three buses were purchased. Should it not have been five? Where are the other two?” and ”Are there any ZC cars in South Africa? Are they damaged? Why are they still there?”

It was revealed that ZC is owed debts worth US$154 000, but there is no record of who should pay. While secretarial salaries and other expenses have climbed from US$14 000 a year ago to US$111 000.

Another question queried whether a London resident was asked to loan a ”senior ZC official 20 000 pounds (US$35 000) and was later asked by the same official to hold on to 196 000 pounds (US$340 000) for him.”

Chingoka and Bvute were also asked how many newspaper sports writers the ZC paid retainers to and whether that was ethical.

The remaining senior director of ZC, Justice Ahmed Ebrahim, was due to chair a second emergency meeting of players, provincial chairperson or vice chairmen, and junior directors later Wednesday.

The first meeting was on Tuesday. Ebrahim will also address senior managers from the 200 ZC employees. – Sapa-AP