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Mrs Bonyongwe

Freeman Razemba : Crime Reporter

Forensic auditors probing Zimbabwe Revenue Authority senior executives’ pay and benefits will this week present their findings to the Auditor-General. The audit is centred on the executive payroll and packages, loans advanced to management, and the importation and clearance of vehicles. It covers the period from January 2014 to date.The audit was supposed to have been completed on June 30.

Zimra board chairperson Mrs Willia Bonyongwe confirmed the developments in a recent interview.

“The auditors who are carrying out the forensic audit are now winding up, and we expect the results in a week or so,” she said.

She said the auditors had not yet briefed them on what they had obtained so far.

Mrs Bonyongwe said findings will be handed over to the AG’s Office.

The audit comes after the Zimra board sent its Commissioner-General Mr Gershem Pasi, and five senior executive managers on paid leave after questions were raised over the importation of vehicles.

The action taken against Zimra executives came amid reports that the Government’s revenue collecting agent was losing millions of dollars to dealers processing counterfeit undervalued import documents in order to facilitate the smuggling of vehicles and other products.

The other five executives sent on leave are loss control director Mr Charlton Chihuri, Mrs Anna Mutombodzi (Commissioner of Customs and Excise), Mr Tjiyapo Velempini (director ICT and infrastructural development), Mr Clive Charles Majengwa (director internal audit) and Mrs Sithokozile Thembani Mrewa (director human re- sources).

The auditors were expected to look into procurement of services by Zimra including recent and current renovations at Kurima House in Harare, and establish whether proper procedures were followed in awarding tenders.

The audit will also cover procurement of uniforms and ICT equipment, Asycuda system validation and construction of houses at Chirundu Border Post.