Zimbabwe’s anti-corruption body has allegedly located unexplained $730 million worth of assets whose owners must face the courts to disclose how they accumulated their fortunes or risk state forfeiture.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) said the
operations involved almost 200 suspected transgressions.
Zacc commissioner Gabriel Chaibva revealed this in
Parliament before the parliamentary portfolio committee on justice to discuss
the 2022 national budget.
“Of these, the anti-graft body secured six convictions and
recovered $52 200 000 (US$600 000), which had been siphoned by bigwigs,”
Chaibva said.
“But if the remaining cases fail to prove the source of the
fortunes estimated at about $680 million, the assets may be forfeited by the
State.”
Zacc has faced a public backlash over its “catch and
release” operation style, but it says in a document presented before the
committee that it requires substantial resources to fight corruption cases in
the country.
The target was to send 180 cases to the National
Prosecuting Authority (NPA), according to the paper, which discloses how
underfunding has stifled efforts to combat rampant graft in Zimbabwe.
Chaibva said an allocation of $294 million in the 2022
national budget presented by Finance and Economic Development minister Mthuli
Ncube last month fell far short of the
financial resources required to fulfil its mandate.
“Out of a target of 180 cases, 175 have been completed and
referred for prosecution,” Zacc said in the 10-page document where IT raises
concern over an allocation of $294 million for next year,” he said.
“Out of a target of 20 unexplained wealth case files, 16
were referred to the National Prosecution Authority with a value of $677 135
000 (US$7 296 000) for asset recovery.”
Chaibva said they wanted to enhance their investigation for
prosecution, enhance assets recovery investigation and establish a forensic
laboratory and criminal bureau.
“We are going to enhance and expand our system compliance
checks, which will involve all the public institutions as well as the private
sector.
“Corruption awareness and training, research and report
dissemination to assist the government in understanding how the corrupt
activities are taking place and what measures the government can take in order
to combat those.
“We have decided to formulate our own corruption perception
index and make sure people understand our role.
“We are saying Zacc is your policeman for corruption.
“This is why you have heard that we have asked for
prosecution powers. We want to cook our cake and eat it ourselves.
“Zacc secured six convictions and recovered assets valued
at $52 200 000 (US$600 000).”
Zacc has fought to bring sanity to high corruption cases in
Zimbabwe since its establishment about five years ago.
However, there have been concerns that many of the cases
brought to the courts have not secured convictions, and in the document, the
commission plans several programmes to strengthen its systems. Standard
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