Source: The Herald – Breaking news.
More than 400 fake vehicle import tax rebate letters were issued in one year by one person and 186 were not in the register of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) Harare office where they had purportedly originated.
This saw Zimra being prejudiced of US$621 742 and Z$142 669 605 in unpaid excise duty as its former employee, Yvonne Tambudzai Musoni, masterminded the issuance of fake rebate letters.
Under the scheme, civil servants with 10 years service were allowed to import one vehicle duty-free.
The breadth and details of the fraud are contained in an affidavit placed before the High Court by Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) investigator Mr Rennie Malemelo in support of an application by Prosecutor-General Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo to have the first batch of fraudulently imported vehicles seized and forfeited to the State.
Musoni, her husband Melusi Paul Musoni and a family trust are already involved in claims that freeze their upmarket house, vehicles and other assets, including credit balances in the fees accounts of two private schools and are likely to lose the lot in civil actions.
“A total of over 400 fake rebate letters were unearthed and verified that vehicles cleared under the civil servants rebate period January 2022 to March 2023 and established that 186 rebate letters are not in the register at Harare port and not approved by the Harare port manager,” said the Zacc investigator.
“Through these fraudulent activities by Musoni, Zimra suffered prejudice of US$621 742, ZWL142 669 605,12 from the 186 vehicles.”
Justice Matanda-Moyo approached the High Court for the seizure and forfeiture of vehicles from 36 people who allegedly abused the civil servants rebate scheme as law enforcement agencies began tracking those who abused the Government facility with the assistance of Musoni.
The accused allegedly hacked her boss’ electronic signature and used it to fraudulently approve the importation of vehicles into Zimbabwe under rebate.
The scheme has been abused, with several individuals and Zimra officers at border posts appearing in court on fraud and money laundering charges.
In papers filed at the High Court, Justice Matanda-Moyo said most of the fraud was committed through Musoni.
“The above rendition of facts clearly demonstrates on a balance of probabilities that indeed, there was some kind of criminal activities in the importation of vehicles in question thereby making them proceeds of crime and consequently tainted therefore liable to forfeiture,” said Justice Matanda-Moyo.
It was noted that the addresses of the respondents raised concerns that many were possibly false.
“From official or business records attached to the papers relating to each respondent, there are instances where one respondent’s address would be given differently at one instance or another.
“Given the sensitivities around criminal activities over the importation of each motor vehicle, this court might draw inferences if the addresses given turn out to be false as that will not be a mere coincidence but a well-choreographed stratagem by whoever gave such myriad of false addresses to public and commercial records to obfuscate any traces of criminal footprints,” said Justice Matanda-Moyo.
Outlining the background of the application, Justice Matanda-Moyo said she had received a docket from Zacc in respect of criminal activities around the importation of motor vehicles.
“At the heart of this application is a grand scheme by the respondents (the illegal beneficiaries of the scheme) to criminally abuse an otherwise genuine and well-meaning Government policy meant to benefit civil servants who qualified for tax exemption of motor vehicles imported by them, save for those respondents cited in their official capacities who are innocent as regards the stinging criminal allegations I shall lay bare in these papers,” said Justice Matanda Moyo.
She said Musoni masterminded the fraud and perpetuated the unlawful use of forged documents, misrepresentation of facts and eventual money laundering arising from a calculated scheme to defraud the Government of its revenue by benefiting individuals who imported vehicles without proper procedures.
“Resultantly Musoni ended up deriving a benefit by taking bribes from her accomplices which generated the property now subject of a property freezing order by the High Court,” she said.
Some of the beneficiaries did not qualify for the rebate because they had not served the required 10 years in civil service.
COMMENTS