NSSA boss arrested for externalising $330 million

The Acting General Manager of the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) Hashmon Matemera has been nabbed for externalising close to US$330 million.

Matemera has appeared before Harare Provincial Magistrate Mr Vakai Douglas Chikwekwe.

Matemera, who is a former Bank ABC managing director, has been granted US$10 000 bail and has been asked to provide a surety of US$250 000 coupled with stringent reporting conditions.

Charges against Matemera dates back to 2011 when he was still the managing director of Bank ABC when Jinan Mining was formed through a joint venture agreement with Marange Resources, a subsidiary company of Zimbabwe Mining Development Company and a Chinese company, Anhui.

The two companies opened a transitory account with Bank ABC at Mt Pleasant with a total of US$628.7 million from January 2012 to December 2013.

The state alleges that the transitory account was unprocedurally opened as it did not have identification of the account holders.

The money was transferred to various accounts in different countries that include Dubai, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Botswana.

Investigations indicated that Jinan Mining is not registered in Botswana neither does it have any operations in that country.

The Botswana account was allegedly opened using Zimbabwean company documents and transfers were effected from Bank ABC Mt Pleasant branch using e-banking facility.