via Press barred from covering tax appeals – NewsDay Zimbabwe July 22, 2014 by Charles Laiton
FISCAL Court of Appeal judge Justice Samuel Kudya yesterday barred journalists from covering the on-going tax appeal cases at the courts following an application by top South African lawyer Adrian de Bourbon.
De Bourbon also threatened to sue Zimpapers flagship newspaper, The Herald, over a report in which it stated that more than 10 firms had taken Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) to court over garnishee orders issued on their accounts for outstanding taxes.
In his application which was granted by the court, De Bourbon said tax appeal matters were supposed to be heard in privacy as they involved privileged information not meant for the public domain.
As a result of his application, Justice Kudya ordered journalists to leave the courtroom as the corporate organisations presented their arguments.
Zimra was recently taken to court by several firms after it allegedly garnished their accounts in a bid to recover close to $10 million owed in taxes.
The companies include Zimbabwe Leaf Tobacco Company, Blanket Mine, Steelmakers, Barclays Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Zimplats, RMC Hospital, Mayor Logistics and Harare City Council.
Zimra Commissioner-General Gershem Pasi is on record saying the revenue authority would clamp down on public and State enterprises whose management were allegedly manipulating financial records and using politicial influence to evade paying tax.
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