HARARE – The arrest of NetOne Chief Executive Raphael Mushanawani on charges of fraud involving US$1.2 million is being fiercely contested by his legal team, who assert the accusations are a fabricated attempt by rivals to seize control of the organization. Mushanawani’s lawyers have claimed that their client is a victim in a meticulously orchestrated “ploy to elbow him out” and that his detractors have misled the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) by “name dropping very powerful individuals” who supposedly hold high political office. They argue that these political figures are not actually involved and the entire scheme is designed for the instigators to take over NetOne’s leadership.
In a September 30 letter addressed to ZACC, Mushanawani’s lawyer, Admire Rubaya, contended that the CEO’s arrest and subsequent detention are unlawful and called for his urgent release. The defense has maintained that everything Mushanawani is accused of having done was above board and had the approval of the NetOne board. This, according to the lawyers, directly contradicted the allegation that he corruptly engaged firms to manage the organization’s systems without the board’s knowledge.
The allegations from ZACC stem from a 2022 contract where NetOne hired Farevic Systems (Pvt) Ltd to implement a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to replace the outdated SAGE 1000 at a US$3.5 million cost. ZACC claims that while this project was ongoing, Mushanawani acted outside company procedures and secretly engaged Lunartech Solutions (Pvt) Ltd to upgrade the very SAGE 1000 system meant for replacement, a move allegedly made without the Executive Committee or Board’s knowledge or approval. The lawyers, however, dismissed these claims as “fabricated,” stating that the evidence confirms full board approval. They expressed bewilderment that Mushanawani is currently detained “over an issue which exposes your officers’ lack of understanding of IT Systems.” NetOne company secretary arrested over alleged obstruction…Apr 30, 2025367 NetOne company secretary arrested over alleged obstruction… Alois Bunjira’s Albun Fitness again partners with…Oct 4, 202417,324
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