Delish Nguwaya’s bid for freedom collapsed on Tuesday morning as his application for bail was dismissed by a Harare Magistrate on the basis that he is likely to abscond or interfere with State witnesses.

Nguwaya was arrested last Friday on accusations of lying to the government that his company Drax International, also known, as Drax Consult SAGL was a medical firm in a bid to be awarded tenders for Covid-19 supplies to the Health Ministry.

Through his lawyers Tafadzwa Hungwe, Admire Rubaya and Ashiel Mugiya, Nguwaya made an application to be remanded out of custody pending trial, but provincial magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti denied him freedom saying he is not a proper candidate for bail.

It is the State’s allegations that Nguwaya lied that Drax International was a Switzerland based medical firm whereas it was later established that it was a consulting company with no experience in the manufacturing of medicines.

In his defence while making his bail application, Nguwaya’s lawyers said Drax International never misrepresented that it was a manufacturing company but that it could only supply.