Zimra defrauded US$5k in rebate scam

Yeukai Karengezeka

Court Correspondent

A clearing agent at Beitbridge Border Post, Shepherd Emmanuel Nyamayaro, has appeared in court for facilitating the importation of a vehicle using a fake rebate letter.

Nyamayaro allegedly assisted Noel Kororo in generating a fake Zimra rebate letter exempting him from paying US$5 280 in duty for a BMW 5 series imported from Japan.

Nyamayaro was remanded out of custody until November 9. Korora is already on remand.

Prosecutor Ms Mercy Masamvi said in September 2022, Korora purchased a BMW 5 Series. He made an application for a rebate for the vehicle.

Before the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development could approve the application, Kororo sought the assistance of Nyamayaro to facilitate the generation of a fake Zimra rebate letter.

Nyamayaro tendered the fake rebate letter dated November 3, 2022, which exempted Noel Kororo from paying duty amounting to US$5280 at Nyamapanda Border Post.

Acting upon the misrepresentation, Allen Dudzayi Zengwa, a Zimra officer, processed and cleared the BMW 5 Series into the country.

The accused person’s application for the civil servant motor vehicle rebate scheme was later approved on November 7, 2022, after the accused person had already tendered the fake rebate clearance letter.

As a result of the misrepresentation, Zimra suffered a prejudice of US$5 284 through unpaid import duty.