Michael Mutanga appeared before Resident Magistrate
Takudzwa Gwazemba this week for abuse of office after he cleared the Volvo
using fraudulent papers.
Magistrate Gwazemba suspended six months of the sentence
for five years.
Mutanga who was represented by Julius Maphosa of Masawi and
Partners pleaded not guilty to the offence.
He argued that he was not on duty on the day the offence
was committed. However, three witnesses including a supervisor, his colleague
who was also on duty and a security guard who stopped the vehicle at the exit
gate said the accused person was on duty.
Prosecutor Ronald Mugwagwa said that on November 8, 2020,
Mutanga was deployed at ZIMRA Imports Last man check point at around 4:20am.
The Volvo towing two trailers laden with various types of alcohol approached
the check point. The driver of the truck approached the accused with the
customs clearance papers.
Mutanga deliberately failed to book the vehicle in the
ZIMRA check point bond register but instead went on to sign in the security
guard register, authorizing the release of the goods and vehicle without going
through due processes which was contrary to his duties.
It was not his duty to validate dispatch of cargo and
release vehicles at the check point but was the duty of a revenue officer.
The driver of the truck proceeded towards main exit gate
and was stopped by an alert security guard who queried the documents which the
accused person had used to authorize the passage of the vehicle.
A Police report was made. Masvingo Mirror
0 comments:
Post a Comment