HARARE – A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) officer could lose a US$75,000-dollar house over suspicions she acquired the property through corrupt means.
Prosecutor General (PG) Kumbirai Hodzi has approached the High Court seeking forfeiture of Desberia Mutara’s assets after she allegedly tried to conceal some of the property she has acquired.
Principal Law Officer Tapiwa Kasema, who deposed an affidavit on behalf of Hodzi, said Mutara also tried to sell her upmarket house upon realising that forfeiture was imminent.
“I carefully read case file compiled by the Zimra in which Mutara was investigated in an exercise rooted in Zimra’s anti-corruption policy which seeks to ensure that it’s employees lifestyle must correspond as far as possible with the legitimate income they are entitled to,” said Kasema.
Kasema said Mutara was employed by Zimra in October 2014 as a revenue trainee and is currently based at Beitbrige Border Post.
He said Mutara only declared a stand valued at US$16,000 and a car valued at US$10,000 yet she had acquired more assets.
Investigations established that Mutara, apart from acquiring a stand, managed to build a house valued at US$75,000.
She also purportedly acquired two Toyota Corolla vehicles valued at US$8,000 yet her cumulative earnings from October 1, 2014, to February 2019 was US$58,936.
Among other things, Mutara is accused of having locked out officials who went to calculate the value of her assets.
“She refused to give an explanation accounting for the source of the funds she used to acquire her wealth,” said Kasema.
Zimra has a policy which commences at the inception of the contract it enters with its employees.
The terms include asset declaration and regular lifestyle audits to ensure that whatever is acquired by Zimra employees reflects transparency.
Arguments are yet to be heard in court.
