Michael Mashiri
Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency director-general, Taguma Mahonde, who was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission on allegations of fraud, has been given bail.
Mahonde, who appeared before magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts, was ordered to deposit US$200 bail and will appear in court on November 16, for his routine remand.
Mahonde was arrested by Zacc for fraud after he allegedly claimed US$4 000 as school fees allowance for a non-existent child.
The State alleges that on September 3, 2021 the Board of Directors held a meeting where Mahonde attended and among the issues discussed was a review of the educational allowance for the Director-General.
It was resolved that the education allowance for the Director General be reviewed upwards to US$800 per child per term for a maximum of three children, translating to US$2 400.
It is alleged that on September 3, 2021, Mahonde claimed US$2 400 for school fees.
On the same day, ZimStat, allegedly made a payment voucher of ZWL$206 532 being school fees equivalent US$2 400 converted at the interbank rate of $6 055.10 per US$1 paid into Mahonde’s bank account.
On January 24, 2022, Mahonde generated a memo in which he allegedly lied that the school fees for his three children was US$2 400 and on January 25, 2022, ZimStat made eight payments of ZWL$270 775 being school fees equivalent to US$2 400 for term 1 at interbank rate.
On May 22, 2022, Mahonde generated a memo in which he allegedly lied that the school fees for his children was US$2 400.
On September 6, 2022, he allegedly generated another memo in which he further lied that the school fees for his children was US$2 400.
ZimStat made a payment voucher of ZWL$1 392 448 being school fees equivalent to US$2 400 for Term 3.
On January 23, this year, Mahonde generated another memo in which he misrepresented that the school fees for his children was US$2 400, and on January 24, ZimStat made a payment voucher of ZWL$1 756 808 being school fees equivalent to US$2 400 for Term 1.
Investigations that were done established that from September 2021, to January 2023, Mahonde had two school-going children attending Kirkman Primary School and Livingstone Learning Centre and Nursery School.
It was also established that all the payments that were done by ZimStat towards Mahonde’s education allowances were done into his personal account 9140005140306 using his vendor number E101467.
The claims were not supported with school invoices.
The case was unearthed during an internal audit conducted by one Claudius Matiza in his capacity as the head of internal audit and on April 20, 2023.
In a bid to obstruct the investigations, Mahonde allegedly hatched a plan to suspend Matiza from ZimStat.
It is alleged that in a bid to further frustrate the completion of the case being investigated by Zacc, Mahonde tabled a proposal to the ZimStat board for a review of his educational allowances.
Investigations established that there was also an attempt to backdate the educational allowances in order to sanitise the offence.
Investigations further established that after investigations had already started on March 6, 2023, Mahonde, in a bid to cover up for the offence, paid a total of ZWL$756 047.33 on March 21 and 22, 2023 as refund for claiming US$4 000 for a non-existent child.
As a result of the misrepresentation by Mahonde, ZimStat suffered an actual prejudice of US$4 000 and US$826 was recovered.
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