via Massive fuel scam sucks in bigwigs | The Herald 30 December 2014 by Freeman Razemba
Senior Government officials, prominent politicians and businesspeople have been implicated in a case in which a local firm reportedly imported 37 million litres of fuel worth millions of dollars for resale on the pretext that it was meant for the Zimbabwe Defence Industries.
Glow Petroleum, which distributed the fuel to its service stations countrywide, is believed to have defrauded the Government of more than $13 million over the past six months by evading customs duty and other charges.
Company director Mr Aaron Chinhara and one of his managers who has not been named, were last week picked for questioning.
Sources close to the investigations said yesterday that the politicians and businesspeople (names supplied) were working with Chinhara, one of the MDC-T rebels who contested the Redcliff seat during the July 31, 2013 harmonised elections as an independent candidate.
As investigations intensify, is has emerged that three of the company’s trucks loaded with fuel were dumped at two service stations in Southerton and along Simon Mazorodze Road in Harare.
Chinhara and some of his managers are assisting police with investigations.
Although finer details of the investigations were not available as of last night, The Herald understands that the net was closing in on some senior Government ministers and other officials in the chain.
Police last week received a tip-off and raided some of the company’s premises in and around the capital.
Police national spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba yesterday said she was yet to receive the report from investigating officers.
ZDI board chairperson Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube, could not be reached on his mobile phone yesterday.
Last week, one of the drivers at the company was allegedly forced to abandon his tanker at a service station in Southerton after he was cornered by detectives.
The driver wanted to offload the fuel when detectives received a tip-off about the consignment.
Several trucks have since been impounded by police after being abandoned by drivers as investigations continue.
The fuel scam came to light following a price war in Gwanda that saw Glow Petroleum selling its fuel at significantly lower prices compared to other service stations whose prices were almost uniform.
Gwanda town has four filling stations that charge more or less the same price.
Petrol costs between $1,50 and $1,54 per litre, while the diesel price ranges from $1,37 to $1,42.
It is reported that trouble started when Glow Petroleum service station sold petrol for $1,46 per litre and diesel at $1,36 per litre.
In one instance it is reported that Glow Petroleum reduced its prices to $1,30 per litre for petrol and $1,18 per litre for diesel as it sought to outdo competitors such as Zuva Petroleum that had begun to slash prices to attract more customers in face of the competition induced by the former’s pricing.
This raised the ire of other operators in the sector who sought to establish how Glow could reduce prices that much given the procurement prices and attendant costs.
It was then allegedly discovered that the firm was clandestinely importing fuel, prompting the police to launch an investigation.
COMMENTS
Hardly surprising but what is interesting is that with the price of oil being what it is today, there has been no price adjustment downwards in Zimbabwe and no-one has murmured a thing.
Retailers, according to one importer, are “making a killing”. So, all Zimbos are crooks at the end of the day!
All managers and board members dream up quite cunning ways of making fortunes but do nothing for the betterment of the country.
Bigwigs closed down honest ZOPCO and formed NOCZIM to get their hands on Zimbabwe’s biggest cashflow. Defalcation and syphoning off just one percent would make you a millionaire.
@Agog-It looks like you have not been reading this website and other websites like the Bulawayo Chronicle and My Zimbabwe because I have challenged the CEO of Zera about our fuel prices failing to follow international prices drop due to drops in global demand for oil which now stands at about $60 per barrel.The masses are generally good people except these corrupt and very naive politicians and their accomplices in business.In my previous comments you will notice that I have strongly objected to blending more than E10 for obvious technical reasons related to our current vehicles.It is easy to tell who is corrupt by just observing their above normal life style eg when their children hold celebrations they spend carelessly impress their friends which does not match their official salaries,so where do they get the funds when the economy is dead!!Sometimes these people become so stupid and then expose their greediness and corrupt ways by doing silly mistakes due to their self imposed sense of false security.In most cases property acquired through dubious means lead to disaster and total poverty at the end.