Jonathan Moyo fumes at anti-graft body

Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo yesterday fumed at the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) as his image is being battered in a sprawling inquiry by the State anti-graft body.

This comes after Zacc indicated that they are still pursuing several other corruption cases that threaten his political survival.

Moyo is already under investigation in connection with fraud involving the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef).

Through his personal assistant, he allegedly used close to $50 000 from the fund to purchase bicycles, which he claims to have distributed to his constituency as well as a $24 000 loan which he claims he has repaid.

The anti-graft body chief reprimanded the minister at a Monday press briefing for a series of problems, including interference.

He said he feared Zimbabwe might repeat the errors seen in previous battles against corruption, effectively allowing politicians to engage in corruption with impunity.

Moyo yesterday slated Zacc and warned of unnamed impending consequences.

"Zacc will be taken to the cleaners after this 2nd presser by (Zacc commissioner) Robert Smart Goodson Nguni!" Moyo tweeted.

Efforts to seek comment from Nguni were fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered.

Nguni told the presser: "Moyo has been tweeting big time, he is very happy, he thinks he has got those people but this is the truth…$16 000 from the $24 000 (he says he repaid ) was paid to Zimdef through Fuzzy technology, through Itai Manyere, and then back to Zimdef.

"Now we are still investigating an $8 000 intercompany transfer that Gandawa did to see if there is no link with the $8 000 that Moyo paid to make it $24 000."

Nguni also alleged the minister was on a media smear campaign against Zacc, further threatening to expose a journalist he claimed has received

$9 000 to protect the interests of ministers under investigation.

"The guys at Zimdef know who he is and we are about to expose him. But we are yet to expose him because we have a heart ourselves even though you don't have a heart by writing lies of people and spouses of people who have done nothing wrong."

The alleged targeting of the once-wildly popular minister comes as an ever-growing tide of corruption investigations are lapping at his feet.

Zacc is also said to be investigating Moyo over $5 million which was released for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programme which the anti-graft body suspects could have also been improperly handled.

It would be asking for testimony in relation to the new scandal.

It is believed that Zacc has widened its probe to include activities that occurred during Moyo's tenure at the Constitutional Commission (CC) in 2000, as well as his time at the Information ministry between September 2013 and last year, before the Tsholotsho North MP was appointed Higher Education minister.