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Africa Moyo Deputy News Editor
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) chief executive officer Meanwell Gudu was yesterday arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).
Reasons for his arrest could not be established by the time of going to print.
ZACC spokesperson Commissioner John Makamure confirmed the arrest last night but said he did not have the details.
“Yes I can confirm that (Gudu’s arrest), but I don’t have the details. He was arrested by ZACC.
“I will only get the details tomorrow (today),” said Comm Makamure.
There have been concerns that TIMB head honchos declined to act on reports prepared by sacked former head of inspectorate Mr Saviour Muvirimi, some of which suggested that some tobacco contractors were underfunding farmers and then go on to buy the free-funded crop, against the regulations.
The reports claimed that tobacco contractors were illegally using grower numbers to buy free-funded tobacco.
Free-funded farmers ordinarily sell their crop through the auction floors.
According to the report, some of the companies involved in improper tobacco dealings are Grandincore, Voedsel Tobacco and Bigway Investments.
In one of the anomalies picked by the inspectorate department, a grower number belonging to Calstock (Pvt) Limited was used to sell 141 623kg of tobacco worth US$228 368,98 during the 2019/2020 selling season, yet the company had not grown any tobacco since it was allocated the grower number in 2020.
The tobacco had been bought by Grandincore from free-farmers.
It is alleged that despite being furnished with the illegal dealings, TIMB management did not act on them, instead, Mr Muvirimi was sacked movie-style by being barred from entering the office.
There are allegations that his emails were also deleted without his knowledge.
Reports by the inspectorate department show that Calstock (Pvt) Ltd was informed that its grower number had sold 141 623kg of tobacco “despite the fact that he had never grown tobacco ever since” allocation of the grower number.
The company only learnt of the abuse of its grower number after its management were questioned by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority audit team for tax evasion for the 1 378 bales sold under their number. In another case, the TIMB team of inspectors visited Bigway Floor in Harare to assess if the number of farmers it allegedly contracted, matched with what was on the ground. The TIMB inspectorate department report says on May 20, 2022, Inspector Hokonya was directed to visit Bigway Floor and found out that there were 12 bales but “without any grower numbers”.
The bales were marked “with lot numbers from 1 to 12 and all were from Tengwe, Karoi”.
It was established that the farmers had been asked to wait until they were allocated grower numbers. Voedsel Marondera was also said to been involved in side-marketing of tobacco and late payments for delivered crop, to the extent that some farmers contemplated demonstrating against the firm, as observed by the inspectorate department’s letter sent to Gudu on July 27 this year.
“Voedsel is enjoying some level of impunity to the detriment of farmers and other players in the industry.”
Online Reporter