Three Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) officials yesterday appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court charged with criminal abuse of office after allegedly undervaluing import duty on motor vehicles and swindling the State of $110 000.
Source: Zimra bosses up for swindling State of $110 000 – NewsDay Zimbabwe May 12, 2016
BY NQOBILE NKIWANE
The parastatal’s human resources and administration director, Sithokozile Mrerwa (47), internal audit director, Clive Charles Manjengwa (52) and loss control director, Charlton Chihuri (40) were not asked to plead when they appeared before provincial magistrate, Tendai Mahwe, who remanded them out of custody to May 31 on $500 bail each.
As part of their bail conditions, they were ordered to surrender their travel documents and to reside at their given addresses until the finalisation of the matter.
Allegations against Mrerwa are that on different dates between May and August last year and contrary to her duties, she connived with Timothy Simfukwe, a director of Eftrade Ventures (motor vehicle dealer and importer), and Liberty Tinashe Mahembe of Vonlet Trading (clearing agent) based at Beitbridge border post to have her Toyota Prado declared as a second-hand vehicle when, in fact, it was imported as a brand new vehicle.
The State alleges Mrerwa connived with Mahembe and Simfukwe to have the vehicle imported in her name instead of Efrtrade Ventures, with the aim of exerting pressure on junior officers at Zimra Beitbridge border post.
The junior staffers are then said to have acted according to the counterfeit import documents, thereby, giving Mrerwa a bigger discount in import duty than was due.
Allegations are that due to her actions, Mrerwa prejudiced the State of $24 156,17.
On the other hand, Majengwa and Chihuri are alleged to have used the same method, resulting in them prejudicing the State of $32 825,18 and $52 985,61 respectively.
The State alleges Majengwa undervalued a Toyota Landcruiser, while Chihuri is said to have undervalued two Toyota Landcruisers.
Sebastian Mutizirwa is appearing for the State.
COMMENTS
Pasi and team from loss control should be ashamed of themselves. At one time a witness was flown (by aeroplane) to witness a case of corruption involving a few rands and an officer was fired only to be re instated after appeal. Zvaiwana ngwarati.
ZIMRA ZIMRA ZIMRA, the chaos at the Beitbridge border post is because of ZIMRA as they use different means to defraud the state of millions through daily bribes to travellers. ZIMRA makes travellers to beg them to clear their cargo, you have to hunt for a ZIMRA official to go to your vehicle to clear it. ZIMRA ZIMRA ZIMRA. If you link that with their corrupt South African immigration counterparts you can be assured that all travellers go through hell as they try to travel between the two countries.