ZIMRA quartet nabbed for extortion

Crime Reporter

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has arrested four Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) officials in Harare on allegations of demanding payment from a transport operator to facilitate the release of a bus impounded during an ongoing operation to curb smuggling.

The arrests of the four comes as Government has launched a crackdown to confiscate smuggled goods that are flooding the country, with most of them being brought in by buses, private vehicles and haulage trucks.

A team of law enforcement agencies have since been deployed along the country’s major highways, especially at tollgates and roadblocks where stop and searches are being conducted.

Along the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway, another team is deployed at the Skyline tollgate where several vehicles and buses have been impounded and taken to the BAK Storage Company premises along the Harare-Masvingo Road for further investigations.

The arrested Zimra officials are Jonathan Maguta, Obert Mitwira, Simon Homera and Paul Gwatirinda, who were employed as revenue officers and are facing extortion charges or criminal abuse of duty as public officers.

Circumstances are that a bus from Best Express Logistics was impounded during an ongoing operation to curb smuggling and the company was ordered to pay excess duty of ZWG55 000.

After paying the required duty, the suspects allegedly demanded US$6 000 from Ms Beatrice Maramwidze, a director at Best Express Logistics as payment to facilitate the release of the bus from BAK Storage in Harare.

Ms Maramwidze reported the matter to ZACC and an investigation was launched resulting in the arrest of the accused persons after accepting a US$1 500 bribe, while in a ZIMRA-branded car.

Upon searching the ZIMRA car, an additional US$3 951, suspected to be part of extorted bribes, was recovered.

The accused persons are detained at Avondale Police Station and are expected to appear at Harare Magistrates Court today.

ZACC is appealing to members of the public and business community to report any acts of corruption on WhatsApp number +263719529483.

Last month, the Government initiated a door-to-door crackdown to confiscate smuggled goods that are flooding the country.

The crackdown coincided with the festive season, a period during which smuggling is at its peak as human and vehicular traffic increases on the country’s roads.

Those found possessing smuggled items will face imprisonment without the option for bail.

The operation came in response to huge losses of up to US$1 billion due to smuggling activities along the borders that the country is incurring annually.

The crackdown coincided with the peak season for smuggling as many Zimbabweans return home for the Christmas and New Year holidays, often bringing goods from South Africa and other neighbouring countries.

Addressing journalists recently, Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti, the Permanent Secretary for Presidential Affairs in the Office of the President and Cabinet, announced that a task force had been deployed to all major border posts and key roads to prevent the entry of smuggled goods.

The operation is also targeting wholesalers, supermarkets, and tech shops, with smuggled products including various food items, clothing, drugs, beverages, fertilisers, cement, vehicles, electrical gadgets, and solar panels.