By Diana Munharira
The High Court has ordered the forfeiture of over USD $37,000 and 17 motor vehicles to the state, following a landmark judgment in a large-scale fraud case that targeted the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA).
The ruling, centres on the systemic abuse of the Civil Servants Vehicle Import Scheme, which caused significant financial prejudice to the state.
According to a statement released by the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) on Wednesday, the court found that the principal accused, Tambudzai Yvonne Musoni, a former ZIMRA employee at Harare Port, masterminded the fraud between January 2022 and March 2023.
Musoni was convicted of fabricating and confirming fraudulent duty rebate letters. These documents were then unlawfully issued to individuals who were not civil servants, as well as to applicants who had been legitimately rejected under the scheme. This illegal activity enabled the recipients to clear imported vehicles without paying the requisite customs duty.
The NPAZ stated that Musoni “personally benefited through bribes” and subsequently resigned from ZIMRA in April 2023 as investigations into the scheme were progressing.
The fraud led to “significant loss to the State,” with dozens of vehicles fraudulently cleared at major ports of entry across Zimbabwe.
In its judgment, the High Court declared a range of assets as proceeds of crime. The forfeited items include USD 37,201 held in school trust accounts and 17 motor vehicles that were specifically imported using the forged rebate letters. The court did, however, release some properties and vehicles where owners successfully proved they were purchased legitimately, either before the fraud or through unrelated means.
“The NPAZ welcomes this ruling, which reinforces the principle that crime does not pay,” the authority said in its statement. “Proceeds of corruption and abuse of office will be traced, recovered, and forfeited to the State.”
The authority reaffirmed its commitment to “safeguarding public resources and combating economic crimes in the interests of justice and accountability.”
The case marks a significant victory for prosecutors in Zimbabwe’s ongoing efforts to clamp down on corruption within state institutions and the recovery of proceeds of crime
