Zimra Loses over US$600,000 in fake vehicle import rebate fraud

A massive vehicle import fraud scheme has been uncovered, involving more than 400 fake tax rebate letters issued by a former Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) employee, Yvonne Tambudzai Musoni. The fraudulent operation has cost Zimra over US$621,742 and ZWL142,669,605 in unpaid excise duties, with 186 of the fake letters unregistered in the Zimra Harare office, where they were purportedly issued.

The scam exploited a government policy allowing civil servants with more than 10 years of service to import one vehicle duty-free. The full extent of the fraud was detailed in an affidavit submitted to the High Court by Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) investigator, Mr. Rennie Malemelo. Prosecutor-General Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo is seeking to have the first batch of illegally imported vehicles seized and forfeited to the state.

Musoni, along with her husband Melusi Paul Musoni and their family trust, are already under legal scrutiny, with their assets, including an upmarket house, vehicles, and funds in private school accounts, frozen. They now face civil action to forfeit these assets as part of ongoing investigations.

The fraudulent rebate letters, issued between January 2022 and March 2023, were used to clear vehicles without the necessary tax payments. Musoni is accused of hacking her superior's electronic signature to approve these imports, facilitating abuse of the civil servant rebate system.

"As for Mrs. Musoni, she is the common denominator in all these cases, with her properties tainted by irregularity. There is strong evidence she derived financial benefit from this criminal activity, making the vehicles and proceeds subject to forfeiture," said Justice Matanda-Moyo.

The High Court is now targeting 36 individuals who allegedly benefited from the fraudulent scheme. The fraudulent addresses linked to the respondents have raised concerns, suggesting a coordinated effort to mislead authorities and cover criminal tracks.

Musoni's scheme also implicated other individuals, including Zimra officers at border posts, who are now facing fraud and money laundering charges. Some of the civil servants involved did not meet the 10-year service requirement to qualify for the rebate, further highlighting the abuse of the government's tax exemption program.

Authorities are now tracking down more illegal beneficiaries as part of a broader crackdown on corruption within Zimra and the vehicle importation sector.