Over $1m stolen from mines ministry

via Over $1m stolen from mines ministry – New Zimbabwe 03/05/2015

OVER $1m has been looted from the ministry of mines’ coffers with evidence pointing to some officials who are believed to have taken advantage of laxities in the accounting regime.

According to the auditor –general’s latest report, the scam was discovered when the ministry submitted its books for a routine audit.

The report said one official understated reports and bank deposits before destroying several other report books to hide evidence of the systematic looting in the ministry.

Auditor-general, Ms Midred Chisi, said the government may have lost close to $900 000 to just that officer alone.

More funds, the report said, were looted under similar circumstances at the Bulawayo Regional Mining engineer’s office.

The audit also unearthed evidence of non-existent claims for vehicle repairs, false purchases for office equipment. In many instances, goods said to have been bought were never delivered to the offices.

According to Chisi there were also false transactions said to have been between the ministry and a company Printflow Private Limited. The scams occurred between 2011 and 2013, the reports said.