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A source in the PM’s Office said the scam had been going on for some time.
PM Morgan Tsvangirai’s office admitted on Wednesday that Edgar Gobvu (27) did not fulfil a trip to South Africa after drawing US$1 500 in allowances from the Government.
Gobvu was recently arrested and later released to pave way for police investigations.
PM Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Mr Luke Tamborinyoka said in a statement that Gobvu did not fulfil the trip after receiving the money when a new arrangement emerged at the Harare International Airport.
He said Gobvu was ordered to stay behind while at the airport when his passport had already been processed together with the delegation’s batch.
Mr Tamborinyoka said Gobvu had since surrendered the money.
However, what has raised eyebrows is the fact that Gobvu’s passport was stamped at both exit and entry points when it should just have the exit stamp if last-minute changes were made at the airport.
The stamping appears to have been designed to hoodwink auditors.
But police said yesterday that Gobvu had a case to answer.
Chief police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said Gobvu committed fraud and would appear in court soon.
“Our position on the case still stands and as police we completed our investigations,” she said.
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“The docket is being prepared for him to be taken to court.”
Asst Comm Charamba said according to the law, it was still an offence for Gobvu’s passport to be carried by another person and stamped while he was not present.
She said Edward Gudhe, who is believed to have facilitated for the passport to be stamped at both exit and entry points, should also be charged.
“He (Gobvu) knew that he was not part of the delegation and there was a misrepresentation resulting with the passport being stamped,” Asst Comm Charamba said.
But Mr Tamborinyoka said on March 22, Gobvu was instructed to remain behind since there were new developments about the trip.
“The facts are that are on 22 March, while driving to the airport en-route to South Africa, the Prime Minister instructed Gobvu to remain behind since the trip had been changed to a one-day trip,” he said.
“By the time Gobvu was ordered to stay behind, his passport had already been processed together with the delegation’s passport batch at the Harare International Airport.”
Gobvu is close aide to PM Tsvangirai and has accompanied him on several high ranking foreign trips.
Online Reporter