20110310
Xinhua
HARARE, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's Energy and Power Development Minister Elton Mangoma was arrested Thursday, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC party said.

"Honorable Elton Mangoma, the MDC Deputy Treasurer - General and Minister of Energy and Power Development, was this morning picked up by three plain clothes police officers at his government offices, Chaminuka Building. The reasons for his arrest are not clear," the party said in a statement.

Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena could not confirm the arrest when contacted by Xinhua.

Asked to confirm the arrest, Bvudzijena said "Not as yet. I am still checking."

A leading financial weekly last week said the minister faced arrest over alleged complicity in a fraudulent awarding of a fuel procurement deal to South African company NOOA Petroleum.

NOOA was contracted to supply 5 million liters of fuel to Zimbabwe early this year in a deal said to have flouted tender procedures. The company failed to deliver on time, resulting in the country experiencing fuel shortages.