THE recently constituted Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption
Commission (ZACC) yesterday hit the ground running, arresting Environment,
Tourism and Hospital Industry Minister, Prisca Mupfumira, on corruption
allegations involving $95 million.
ZACC, which recently got arresting powers, walked the talk
on the arrest of bigwigs with Minister Mupfumira being the first big catch.
ZACC chairperson, Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo, confirmed the
arrest saying the Minister is expected to appear in court today.
“She is still with us and she is expected to appear in
court tomorrow. She is facing corruption charges involving $95 million. Some of
the offences emanate from the NSSA audit while she allegedly committed other
crimes at her current ministry (Ministry of Environment, Tourism and
Hospitality Industry),” said Justice Matanda Moyo.
The Minister spent the whole day in the hands of ZACC
investigators and she will appear in court from holding cells.
She is the first senior government official to be arrested
by the commission which was overhauled by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on July
15.
Minister Mupfumira was recently named by the Zanu-PF Youth
League in a list of political and business persons who were sabotaging the
economy through acts of corruption.
Recently, President Mnangagwa appointed a 12-member
commission chaired by Justice Matanda-Moyo, which he gave powers to arrest.
The President has shown confidence in the new ZACC through
publicly warning the masses that the newly-found teeth would soon bite all the
corrupt.
Justice Matanda-Moyo last week vowed to fight corruption
indicating that a number of bigwigs were already under investigation.
She said ZACC was investigating over 200 cases of
corruption-related crimes emanating from a varied spectrum of the economy
adding that arrests would be effected.
Justice Matanda-Moyo said her commission was on a mission
to aggressively fight corruption and was different from previous bodies given
that it was now headed by a judicial officer.
In her maiden media address, Justice Matanda-Moyo said ZACC
had received the latest Auditor-General’s (AG) report and investigations had
already commenced in respect of all ministries, parastatals and State entities
implicated in corruption and misappropriation of funds.
Justice Matanda-Moyo said the AG’s report creates the basis
for investigations into corruption, theft, misappropriation of funds, abuse of
power and or any other improper conduct committed in the public sector.
She said a number of high profile cases were already being
investigated. Millions of dollars went missing from NSSA when Mupfumira
was Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.
More funds were reportedly lost when she was now Minister
of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry. Herald
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