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Company director in grocery smuggling scandal
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A local company director appeared in court over the weekend facing allegations of smuggling groceries into Zimbabwe and evading import duty amounting to R2 700 876 (approximately US$148 548).
Prosper Isaka (46), a director of Profutunny Investments (Pvt) Ltd, was arraigned before Harare regional magistrate Mrs Jesse Kufa on smuggling charges. He was granted US$200 bail and is expected back in court on 22 April.
Prosecutors allege that between March and June 2024, Isaka imported assorted grocery products from Boss Foods (Pvt) Ltd, a South Africa-based company operating out of Johannesburg. The goods were transported into Zimbabwe through the Plumtree Border Post.
According to the State, Isaka allegedly colluded with two clearing agents, Nyasha Moyo and Blessing Kodzawako, to falsify customs documentation in order to evade paying the required import duties. The court heard that the paperwork falsely declared the grocery consignments as agricultural equipment, a category exempt from duty payments. Both clearing agents are currently on remand.
The matter widened further after it emerged that Isaka allegedly conspired with three officials from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) stationed at Plumtree Border Post. The officials - Luckson Chikwara, James Dzimirwa and Tinotenda Allen Mawoyo - are also on remand.
The three revenue officers, whose duties include scanning trucks to verify declared cargo, allegedly bypassed the mandatory scanning procedures for Isaka's vehicles, allowing the undeclared goods to pass through undetected.
As a result of the alleged scheme, ZIMRA is said to have suffered a financial prejudice of R2 700 876,45 (US$148 548,06) in unpaid import duties.
Investigations are ongoing, and the case is expected to shed more light on alleged collusion between private importers and public officials at one of the country's key border entry points.
Prosper Isaka (46), a director of Profutunny Investments (Pvt) Ltd, was arraigned before Harare regional magistrate Mrs Jesse Kufa on smuggling charges. He was granted US$200 bail and is expected back in court on 22 April.
Prosecutors allege that between March and June 2024, Isaka imported assorted grocery products from Boss Foods (Pvt) Ltd, a South Africa-based company operating out of Johannesburg. The goods were transported into Zimbabwe through the Plumtree Border Post.
According to the State, Isaka allegedly colluded with two clearing agents, Nyasha Moyo and Blessing Kodzawako, to falsify customs documentation in order to evade paying the required import duties. The court heard that the paperwork falsely declared the grocery consignments as agricultural equipment, a category exempt from duty payments. Both clearing agents are currently on remand.
The matter widened further after it emerged that Isaka allegedly conspired with three officials from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) stationed at Plumtree Border Post. The officials - Luckson Chikwara, James Dzimirwa and Tinotenda Allen Mawoyo - are also on remand.
The three revenue officers, whose duties include scanning trucks to verify declared cargo, allegedly bypassed the mandatory scanning procedures for Isaka's vehicles, allowing the undeclared goods to pass through undetected.
As a result of the alleged scheme, ZIMRA is said to have suffered a financial prejudice of R2 700 876,45 (US$148 548,06) in unpaid import duties.
Investigations are ongoing, and the case is expected to shed more light on alleged collusion between private importers and public officials at one of the country's key border entry points.
Source - The Herald
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