THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) says it has begun its probe on Zimbabwean firms and individuals who looted the country’s command agriculture facility but remains tight lipped on the fate of controversial oil mogul Kudakwashe Tagwirei, once linked to the fraud.
ZACC chair, Loice Matanda Moyo told NewZimbabwe.com’s The Agenda programme few weeks back that the anti-graft body was closing in on those who have abused the government input scheme.
“We have started investigating issues around command agriculture.
“So far we are investigating companies where monies were paid and deliveries were not made and we are also investigating on the beneficiaries who received the inputs but if you get to the ground, there is no commensurate events happening on the fields,” Matanda-Moyo said at the time.
The ZACC boss said preliminary investigations had also revealed massive looting in farms with beneficiaries giving false information on land prepared and harvests.
“For instance, a person could apply for 200 hectares of fertilisers and seeds but go to the ground, that person has only 30 hectares; so it means that a whole 170 hectares worth of inputs were abused,” the former High Court judge said.
It is alleged that instead of using farming inputs for the intended purpose, the farmers reportedly connived with big fertiliser and seed companies to repackage the inputs.
ZACC was back weekend to tell state media that the probe was now in full swing.
The anti-graft body elected not to name the big companies and farmers for ostensible fear of jeopardising investigations.
It said it recovered 440 tonnes of fertiliser in one of the raided warehouses and one tonne of sugar beans seed.
“We also want to investigate and manage mineral leakages; there is need to identify leakages from gold production to buyers and to Fidelity Printers. We will be arresting, recovering and closing loopholes as we deal decisively with corruption,” said the ZACC boss.
Some banks are also reported to be under investigation for allegedly establishing facilities through which they would exchange cash payouts for deposits higher than the principal sum sought by desperate depositors.
“They have institutionalised corruption because, for instance, if someone wants $10 000 cash, the client is told to deposit $13 000. Banks have become dealers by not adhering to banking ethos. We will be working with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to monitor some of these financial institutions who are deeply involved in cash problems,” said the ZACC chair.
