Tinaye Agere
Sunday Mail Reporter
SIXTEEN organisations have been posing as affiliates of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to extort money under the guise of investigating corrupt activities, it has been learnt.
ZACC chairperson Mr Michael Reza, however, told The Sunday Mail that the constitutional body does not have any affiliates.
“We have identified 16 bogus associations that are extorting and fleecing people of their hard-earned money by masquerading as ZACC affiliate organisations,” said Mr Reza.
“These fraudulent organisations have been exploiting the trust of citizens by claiming to represent ZACC or act on its behalf.
“It should be noted that only two entities are constitutionally mandated to investigate corruption in Zimbabwe — ZACC itself and the Zimbabwe Republic Police.”
The criminal organisations reportedly use counterfeit ZACC identity documents.
“They have gone to great lengths producing fake identification cards that mimic the design and colour of our official IDs, all in a bid to deceive people into thinking they are legitimate affiliates of our commission.”
ZACC has since enlisted the help of both the police and the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to bring the criminals to book.
“We are fully committed to investigating these illegal operations. We are working closely with the Ministry of Justice to ensure that those behind these fraudulent organisations face the full force of the law.
“We also urge members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities.”
The organisations have allegedly been preying on the private sector and non-governmental organisations, where they request bribes or payments in exchange for “clearing” individuals and businesses of corruption charges.
In 2023, three bogus ZACC officers were nabbed in Harare after they fell into a trap while attempting to extort US$5 000 from a ZIMRA official stationed at the Chirundu Border Post.
The three were found with 23 national identity cards and 76 mobile phone lines from three network providers.
Online Reporter