via Zimra boss takes aim at Parliament – DailyNews Live 4 MARCH 2014
Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) commissioner-general Gershem Pasi is mulling a constitutional challenge to stop what he describes as abuse of parliamentary privilege in tackling national issues, including salary-gate.
This also comes as the tax collector and his organisation have petitioned local papers to stop publishing stories around his alleged astronomical pay following Mbizo legislator Settlement Chikwinya’s recent motion that Pasi was raking in $310 000 per month.
“…in our view, parliamentary privilege does not extend to the making of reckless and wholly unfounded statements by members of Parliament in the hope that they can hide behind the concept of parliamentary privilege,” lawyers, Kantor & Immerman representing Pasi said yesterday.
“We have instructions to pursue this matter to its logical conclusion, including placing before the Constitutional Court, the competing issues of parliamentary privilege and the rights of individuals, and corporates to their good reputations and names, and to protect the same in accordance with the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” they added.
Although the tone and frame of the articles were different in local newspapers, the Zimra boss’ lawyers said that reports emanating from the recent debate were not only defamatory, but had also characterised their client as corrupt, amoral and Zimra’s affairs were shambolic.
“The integrity of Zimra and the fiscus at large has been compromised, and undermined by the false statement, and publication attributed to Honourable Chikwinya,” Kantor and Immerman said in the letter also copied to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) legislator.
“Any continued publication of the same allegations will be malicious in the extreme and reckless on your part (newspapers), and in the event that damages proceedings are instituted, will serve to aggravate the amount claimed from yourselves,” the lawyers said, adding their “clients’ names and reputations had been damaged locally, and abroad”.
While the question of Chikwinya’s rights or privilege is being explored, Pasi and Zimra have also hinted that they were likely to go after the MDC man based on the new Constitution’s freedom, and privacy rights guarantees.
COMMENTS
Haiwavo you are a public servant in most countries your salary is put on the website package yese including your bonus. Pwetere pwetere chii chacho tell us we hear we could be collecting $5 bln in taxes dai pasina huhori kwenyu ikoko.
But you journalist expose these people. Even NSSA Vera was a mere clerk a few years back only to surafce as a Director at NSSA and anoita zvinorova. Just do a lifestyle audit on these people and let Zimra ask for taxes.
You are also letting Dr parirenyatwa get away with it. The foolish Dr takes his time whilst Rome is burning. I think by no most of the paper trail has been destroyes. Unlike jonathan he does not immediately fire the CEO and the Board, he obstructs their firing by cancelling an EGM. Fortunately the Board fires itself after initially applying lipstick to a frog. After taking his sweet time, he then he advertises for an interim managerwith supersonic speed, advert on Wednesday and closing Friday. He does his interviews as per advert (individual with this and that) but lo and behold he comes out with a consultant. How did the consultant get selected amongst individuals or was the interview a cover up. The Minister should treat people with respect how does he deal with corruption in a murky way, complete lack of transparency. The questionis is he one of the respients of the cars Jeeps, annual holidays, schoraships for children or was he one of those on payroll courtesy of the alleged slush funds. Shame Shame Shame, Pressident please help
Ha ha ha Mr Pasi, what is needed is simply proof of what you earn. What privacy when tax payers contribute towards your pay? We are entitled to know what we pay you.
Pasi is panicking like a lizard in the mud because he knows it’s a matter of time before his salary is leaked by one of his subordinates.
It was leaked already. The duplicate payslips and others are already there.
Pasi, lets go all the way. You must swear before a judge that you will tell nothing but the truth. The question from my legal team in court : Confirm this is your salary slip can you? Confirm it says you earn USD310,000?
Confirm you do not deserve this pay in impoverished Zimbabwe? Lets go to court people, lets go. I hope you are not doing this to kill the matter dead in the waters. Lets go to court.
Pasi is trying to hide something here. This is a straight forward thing which does not need lawyers. He must show the country his earnings first then he can start talking of suing newspapers. He has got the money to splash that is why he has instructed lawyers to scare MPs and journalists so he can become untouchable-accountability is the main issue here Pasi.
Mr Pasi how much do you earn? This is a simple question. It is our right as tax payers and as your employers to know. Why so secret? What are you hiding?
This is not even getting onto the subject of how much you steal or the many other ways in which you abuse your position
Zanu is fighting back to stop any exposé. Pasi is the line drawn in the sand,they will defend him with all their might .
Pasi naPasi. Pamberi nekutsvaga chokwsdi. You are not bigger than Zimbabwe Mr Pasi. Tell the nation how much we are paying you.
WE, THE PEOPLE, HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW! WE PAY YOUR SALARIES!
Who is paying these lawyers/ I pray you are not using ZIMRA funds to protect Pasi. if Pasi can afford it, he should use his own funds. Pasi cannot use ZIMRA to settle personal grudges. LET Pasi announce his benefits– salary and everything. What other more compelling evidence to silence parliament is there. Shame on you Pasi– just tell us what you personally earn , that is all. Go to court and you will be forced to reveal it. The more you dance around the fact the more you look like you earn 300K/m. If you dont you are sure corrupt, tell us your salary, benefits and all– simple- we are fair, the public is fair– we will give you the benefit of the doubt. After all, a Board approved it with the consent of your Accounting Ministry. It is not your fault or is it?
Pasi you are not managing Pasi Holdings Pvt Ltd. This is public funds and so you are liable to public scrutiny. we demand disclosure of your loot.
Catch the thief.if u catch Pasi Zanu is Gone gone.so Zanu gonna defend him to survive. Let an independant Audit be Done and then he can go to court.Papers mus nw dig deeper into these guys activities
What is his problem? The president’s basic salary is public knowledge, what is so special about him as a public servant?
He is greedy. Fire him. I am disgusted!
We are all squeaking like mice. How about we do something? Start simple….everytime we go through a ZIMRA toll gate….ask for the receipt and take a minute to write a message on the back “What do you earn PASI?” hand it back and ask the toll people for answer on your return journey….just keep doing it. If we had any conviction at all we would just stop paying anything to do with ZIMRA until we get an answer. No money in = no $300 000.00 salary.
But we are famous for whingeing not for doing….so we won’t bother any of us.
This type of corruption is not new. Remember during the Zim dollar era. No one could buy forex from the banks except Ministers who got the US dollar at 20 to 1. On the street it was going for 1000 to 1. Gono was printing money.People with access to the 20 to 1 were changing in the banks and bringing it back on the street and making enormous profits. The street venders were spinning the money. The informal sector was actively changing it’s value on the street market to suit their profit margins. The working people were getting poorer and poorer because although they were getting 100% increments they were failing to keep up with prices because prices were starting to be governed by the black market value of the Zim dollar. The corrupt ministers were still getting it at the mark the Government had pegged it at. This is the same situation. These people are earning what Western or even countries with strong economies executives are earning. The work force is earning a small fraction of what people in these countries I talk about earn. There is no balance. That is why the money that comes into the fiscus is going to wages only. No person in this transition of Zimbabwe should be earning over 10,000 US a month. That includes Ministers and Mayors including Robert Mugabe.At least not in this economic climate. There is just no balance.