Former ZIMRA Employee Dupes Government Of US$621k In Extensive Fraudulent Civil Servants Vehicle Import Scheme

A former Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) employee allegedly masterminded a large-scale fraud involving fake vehicle import tax rebate letters, causing the government to lose over US$621,000 and ZWL$ 142 million in unpaid excise duties.

Yvonne Tambudzai Musoni allegedly issued more than 400 fraudulent rebate letters between January 2022 and March 2023, allowing unqualified individuals to import vehicles duty-free, The Herald reports.

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How The Former ZIMRA Employee Duped Government Through The Civil Servants Vehicle Import Scheme

Yvonne and her accomplices abused the scheme intended to benefit civil servants with over ten years of service. According to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), 186 of the rebate letters were not in Zimra’s Harare office register, where they were purported to have originated.

In a bid to recover lost revenue, Prosecutor-General Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo has approached the High Court to seize and forfeit the vehicles imported under the scheme. Thirty-six individuals who benefitted from the fake rebate letters are now under investigation, with law enforcement tracking the vehicles.

Yvonne, her husband, Melusi Paul Musoni, and their family trust are also facing legal action. Their assets, including luxury vehicles, property, and funds linked to private school fees, have been frozen.

Yvonne allegedly forged her supervisor’s electronic signature to approve the illegal importation of vehicles. This allowed her to bypass official procedures and further the scheme.

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The Mastermind

ZIMRA Employee Vehicle Import — *Former ZIMRA Employee Dupes Government Of US$621k In Extensive Fraudulent Civil Servants Vehicle Import Scheme [Image: AAPL]*

The ZACC investigator, Rennie Malemelo, revealed in court documents that Yvonne was central to the scheme, making her the common denominator in multiple cases. She allegedly took bribes from accomplices to approve the fraudulent vehicle imports.

The fraud extended to other ZIMRA officers at border posts, some of whom have been implicated in money laundering and fraud charges.

As investigations continued, ZACC unravelled how some beneficiaries provided false addresses, raising suspicions of a coordinated effort to conceal their involvement in the illegal activities.

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