REGISTRAR-GENERAL Clemence Masango has been arrested by the
Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on charges of flouting tender
procedures when buying five vehicles for the Central Registry and taking seven
other Government vehicles to his farm for personal use.
Masango spent last night at Mabelreign Police Station
pending his initial court appearance today.
Giving details of the charges, ZACC spokesperson
Commissioner John Makamure said: “He faces two counts of criminal abuse of
office. He is accused of procuring five vehicles without following laid down
tender procedures. He also faces another count of taking seven Government
vehicles, meant for the RG’s provincial offices, to do his personal errands at
his farm,” said Comm Makamure. “He will appear at the Harare Magistrates’ Court
tomorrow.”
Last week Masango clashed with the chief accountant in his
office, Mr Peter Bwanya, who accused him of abuse of office over vehicles. But
Masango denied all wrongdoing, saying Mr Bwanya was putting up a smokescreen
since he is fighting disciplinary action over alleged incompetence and
misbehaviour.
Mr Bwanya made a swathe of allegations, mainly involving
the purchase or non-purchse of vehicles, which Masango responded to point by
point, while criticising Zacc for launching an investigation before seeking an
audit report on the allegations and on his office’s purchases and use of its
purchasing budget.
The only one of Mr Bwanya’s allegations that now forms part
of the charges against Masango is the purchase of five vehicles when 11 were
approved and budgeted for. Masango responded to that allegation by saying that
when the approval and budget were given, the exchange rate was 1-1 between the
RTGS dollar and the US dollar. When the foreign currency was released there was
a US dollar cost.
The second charge, of the misuse and personal use of seven
vehicles by Masango, was not part of Mr Bwanya’s allegations and arises out of
Zacc’s own investigations. Herald
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