HARARE – A former ZIMRA employee could lose several properties after Prosecutor General Kumbirai Hodzi applied for a forfeiture.

Hodzi says in a court filing that Darlington Makosa failed to account for his wealth.

Makosa, who joined ZIMRA in 2010, resigned in October last year after a lifestyle audit was conducted on him.

The audit revealed that he had acquired properties which did not match his earnings in the nine years he was with the tax collector.

Kelvin Mufute, a principal law officer in the Asset Forfeiture unit, deposed an affidavit on behalf of Hodzi and the application for forfeiture is now before the High Court.

“I observed that during the scope and course of work, ZIMRA commenced investigations on October 2019 following a tip-off from a whistle-blower alleging that Makosa had acquired property using funds from corrupt activities and had abused his office to obtain the funds,” Mufute says in court documents.

“I aver that Makosa refused to give an explanation to account for the source of funds for the purchase of residential stands and construction of a house in Westbrooke and Mornington in Kadoma and that he tendered his resignation from work on October 20, 2019.

“I concluded that Makosa lied because he did not declare all properties that he purchased to his employer.

“The total value of the properties registered in his name – US$196,015.50 – is more than the amount of money he was paid by ZIMRA which is US$124,779.”

Mufute said the investigation involved conducting an analysis of changes in net worth and investigating allegations of abuse of office.

It also included conducting searches for immovable properties at Deeds Office at Kadoma town council.

On his ZIMRA asset declaration during the investigation, Makosa submitted that he bought three residential stands in Kadoma, two worth US$10,000 and one valued at US$5,400.

Investigations established that he had in fact acquired four more stands in Westbrooke and Mornington Kadoma worth US$43,550.

Makosa also allegedly built cluster houses at his other stand in Westbrooke valued at US$66,000.

He also allegedly built a double storey house at stand number 6215 valued at US$94,000.