Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
A LOCAL firm, PROMPT Gas, and its director, appeared in court yesterday facing charges of violating tax laws involving over R8,006,055.
PROMPT Gas and its director, Gift Patsika, appeared before Harare regional magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa.
The court heard that on Monday, detectives from CID Asset Forfeiture were deployed on operation “Pressure Valve.”
Their mandate was to check fuel and LPG retail sites to verify sources of funding, pricing anomalies, courier-linked transactions, bank use and making sure full compliance was adhered to in the licensing processes.
The team visited PROMPT Gas at number 1170A3 Mutare Road.
Preliminary investigations conducted revealed that during the period from January 1 to November 18 this year, the company bought gas from IPG, a company based in Mozambique.
The cost was R8,006,055.75.
The State claims Patsika failed to produce proof that the imports were done through the normal banking system.
The company allegedly made off shore payments for the imports without the approval of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Exchange Control, thereby violating the Exchange Control Act.
Furthermore, the source of funding was not known, raising suspicion of money laundering activities.
Mathew Masinge