Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries leader
Walter Magaya has been summoned by the police for allegedly evading $22 million
tax, while Wicknell Chivayo appeared in court yesterday for allegedly bribing a
Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) official with $10 000.
The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) is accusing Magaya
of under-declaring his earnings.
The move by the police to summon Magaya follows a lifestyle
audit done on him and his church dealings, after suspicion that he had been
under-declaring his earnings.
Police spokesperson Commission Charity Charamba yesterday
confirmed police were looking for Magaya.
“He has been summoned for an interview,” she said. “Police
are eager to interview him on allegations of tax evasion.”
Comm Charamba declined to give finer details of the case. Zimra Commissioner-General Ms Faith Mazani’s assistant, Mr
John Chakasikwa, confirmed that they were after Magaya over the tax issue.
He said the matter was being handled by the Criminal
Investigations Division (Commercials Crime Division).
“We are working with the police and the National
Prosecuting Authority on the matter,” said Chakasikwa. “At this point, the NPA
has the information you require.”
Zimra recently issued a garnish order against Magaya’s
church accounts held with a local bank and wants the self-styled prophet to
settle the arrears.
This followed the tax collector’s raid at Magaya’s church
at least twice last year, in a bid to audit his earnings and other business
interests that include a hotel owned by the church, a tile manufacturing
factory and a farming concern.
Zimra has been seeking clarity on how high-rollers fund
their lifestyles and whether or not they were paying what they should in taxes.
Zimra wants Magaya to explain what type of business he is
into, properties he owns and how much tax he is paying.
Magaya has been under public eye for funding national
soccer teams, with Zimra inquisitive about the source of the funds and if he
was tax compliant.
Apart from funding football, Zimra wants to know the source
of funds for Magaya’s gestures.
In the case of Chivayo, he appeared in court yesterday on
allegations of offering former Zimbabwe Power Company’s (ZPC) board chairperson
Stanley Kazhanje the $10 000 bribe for facilitating the awarding of the Gwanda
solar project to his company.
Chivayo was cited as the second accused in the State
papers, while his company was cited as the first accused.
He appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Rumbidzayi
Mugwagwa facing the bribery charges.
The court ordered Chivayo to continue abiding by the bail
conditions imposed on him when he appeared in court on another charge of fraud
relating to the solar power deal.
He paid $2 000 bail that was accompanied by stringent
conditions.Kazhanje is already on remand facing a similar charge.
Law officer Mr Michael Reza alleged that sometime in 2013,
ZPC called for bids for the construction of the Gwanda Solar Project and
Chivayo responded through his company Intratek (Pvt) Ltd.
The court heard that on October 22, 2015, the ZPC board
held a meeting that was chaired by Kazhanje.
It is alleged that Kazhanje directed that ZPC should
proceed to sign the deal with Intratrek and the contract was signed on October
23, 2015 even though the company had not provided a bank guarantee.
On January 21, 2016, Chivayo and his company allegedly
transferred $10 000 into Kazhanje’s personal bank account upon knowing that he
had influence on the cancellation of the contract for non-compliance.
After the payment, Kazhanje was alleged to have influenced
the ZPC board to pass resolutions in favour of Chivayo and his company even
though they had breached the same contract.
Chivhayo and his company were being represented by
Advocates Lewis Uriri and Sylvester Hashiti. Herald
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