CONFUSION reigned supreme within the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) yesterday following reports that as many as eight senior managers had been suspended on corruption charges.
BY RICHARD CHIDZA
Zimra Commissioner-General Faith Mazani yesterday refused to discuss details of the suspensions, but confirmed two managers had been sent home.
“We are still going through the process. It’s at the very preliminary stages and I am not sure who told you because it’s still a very internal process,” Mazani said.
“At the moment we are not ready to share information until such time we have gone through our disciplinary procedures and people have been charged, then we will share such information.”
Sources, however, said some top managers had been suspended in connection with an attempted $2,3 million fraud case.
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“There was an attempt to steal as much as $2,3 million from Zimra and this has led to some suspensions,” NewsDay heard.
It is believed Zimra deputy finance director Everjoy Maniwa was forced out over the audacious attempt to siphon some $2,3 million from the tax collector. Zimra has also sent on forced leave Alois Manhire the revenue collector’s head of e-cargo tracking on as yet to be revealed charges.
Mazani dismissed reports that as many as eight managers had been suspended.
“I have heard some are claiming that we have suspended six or more managers. It’s only two,” she said.
The Zimra Commissioner-General could not be drawn into commenting on whether the managers were linked to the $2,3 million saga.
Between January to August this year, Zimra claimed it had investigated a massive 46 cases of corruption, 11 of which were referred for prosecution and one was finalised at the courts.
In the first half of last year alone, Zimra suspended 21 officials and recovered $120 million through its anti-corruption drive following tip-offs from the public.
New Finance minister Mthuli Ncube on October 1 wielded the axe and fired the Willia Bonyongwe-led board in what he said heralded “the start of reforms the government is implementing to get its finances under control.”