The Sunday News
Sunday News Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) 10 managers who were accused of an import scam by former Commissioner General Mr Gershem Pasi were cleared by the authority in line with the company’s code of conduct.
The group, which includes Messrs Adrian Swarress — former regional manager for Beitbridge — who now heads Zimra Risk and Complaints division; Martin Muponda (Head — Audit and Domestic Taxes); Henry Nyamuromba (manager — Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport); Nikita Machinga (manager — Technical Services); Ms Edina Mudzingwa (manager — International Affairs), Farai Nyakunike, Sitheni Ncube, James Zisanhi and Tomeyi Sona, were accused of irregular imports of chicken cuts and cooking oil worth over $3 million between 2011 and 2014.
Through their lawyers, the managers last week said they were cleared of any wrong doing, contrary to claims in our earlier story.
They explained that they were asked to write reports to their superiors and the Zimra legal department which dismissed the allegations.
“You will note that in the said article, the writer whom we believe was writing during the course of his employment, maliciously and baselessly alleged that our clients were involved in the smuggling of goods at border posts. Suffice to state that this allegation is not only wrong but defamatory to our clients’ good reputation and standing as members of Zimra management,” wrote the Zimra managers legal counsel last week.
“None of them was ever involved in a smuggling racket/scam. In June 2014, allegations of facilitating smuggling were levelled against them while they were based at Beitbridge Border Post, save for Mr Ncube who was based in Bulawayo. Zimra invoked employment code of conduct which resulted in the mentioned managers and supervisors writing detailed reports in response to the said allegations.
The detailed reports were submitted to the managers’ superiors who in consultation with the Zimra legal division determined that the allegations were baseless and our clients were found to have conducted themselves in a manner that was in conformity with the requirements of Zimra.
The authority then wrote letters to our clients confirming that investigations into the allegations against them had been completed. They were also informed in the said letters that their responses had been found satisfactory and they had consequently been cleared of any wrong doing,” read part of the letter.
Mr Pasi, who is also facing separate charges of criminal abuse of office before the courts, had accused the managers in a June 20 2014 letter addressed to Zimra’s Commissioner (Customs and Excise) Mr Happius Kuzvinzwa.
(Following the publication of the initial article titled “Zimra top brass in smuggling racket”, in our 6 January issue, it has come to our attention that the managers were cleared on any wrong doing by their employer. Any inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted.-Editor.)
