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The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has won a High Court order to forfeit a tainted vehicle.

Justice Benjamin Chikowero ordered forfeiture to the State of a Toyota Vanguard that was fraudulently imported by one Caroline Mpanza in January 2023.

Through the National Prosecuting Authority, ZACC approached the High Court arguing that Mpanza who is not a civil servant used a fake rebate letter in the name of a school teacher whose application to import a similar vehicle had been approved by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.

The Court heard that in January 2023, Mpanza purchased a Toyota Vanguard vehicle after enlisting the services of an agent, Tafadzwa Nyamagodo. It was alleged that she paid him a total sum of US$16 000.00 for the importation of the said vehicle and payment of import duty.

However, Nyamagodo did not pay import duty. Instead, he used a forged civil servant rebate letter bearing the name of a teacher and a false residential address resulting in the evasion of the payment of customs duty, which had been calculated by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority to be US$7 000.00. The vehicle was later registered in the name of the teacher without her knowledge.

Justice Chikowero found that the vehicle is tainted property and ordered forfeiture to the State.