High Court judge Justice Benjamin Chikowero has acquitted former Zesa chief executive officer Joshua Chifamba of criminal abuse of office charges.

Chifamba had approached the High Court for review of the lower court judgment in which his application for discharge was dismissed by magistrate Francis Mapfumo at the close of the State case.

Justice Chikowero in his ruling said magistrate Mapfumo agreed to the fact that Zesa was not a procurement entity and also not a statutory entity which was supposed to go to tender before entering into partnership with the South Korean company.

He said the court also accepted that the trio was not required by law to proceed via the tender route and they did not act contrary to their duties by engaging the South Korean firm without going to tender.

Mangoma and Chifamba were accused of presiding over a tender deal that prejudiced Zesa of about $850 000 and nothing was recovered.