adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A SENIOR Zimbabwe Revenue Authority officer stationed at Plumtree Border Post has been arrested for her alleged involvement in a vehicle importation scam.Rosemary Mukumbire, 43, has also been suspended from work for facilitating the importation of two Mercedes Benz vehicles without following proper procedure.
Officer Commanding Buililima and Mangwe districts, Chief Superintendent Macdonald Samuriwo, confirmed the matter.
“We are investigating a case involving a Zimra official who is suspected to have been involved in a scam of clearing vehicles without collecting the full duty. The investigations we are carrying out will help us ascertain whether there are any other incidents in which she has been involved,” said Chief Supt Samuriwo.
A source at the border said Mukumbire’s problems began on May 4 when her superiors discovered that she had cleared two Mercedes Benz vehicles before the full duty had been paid.
The source added that her actions prejudiced the state of $16,000.
Investigations are underway to establish if she had previously committed similar acts without detection.
“Mukumbire is a revenue officer working at the commercial office and her duties involve collecting duty. It appears that she was handed documents of two vehicles so that she could do a physical assessment on whether the papers matched the vehicles which were being imported.
“Clearing agents gave her photocopied documents instead of the original papers. The photocopied papers stated that the two vehicles were old model types whereas they were the latest models,” said the source from the border.
Mukumbire is said to have cleared the vehicles as E320 models instead of E350.
The Zimra official relied on the photocopied documents that did not tally with original copies that had the correct information.
Some officers working at the border have in the past been accused of facilitating imports without following correct procedure after receiving bribes.
derick.khumalo