Police chiefs accused of smuggling (30-11-06)

n alleged that Deputy Commissioner Innocent Matibiri, who is also President Robert Mugabe’s nephew, Criminal Investigations Department’s Officer Commanding, Stephen Mutamba, Assistant Commissioner Justice Chengeta, who are all based in Harare, Matabeleland North’s Officer Commanding, Edmore Veterai and Superintendent Bethel Magora, who is based at the border town, were all involved.

Commissioner Chihuri’s team is corrupt
The senior officers are also accused of having threatened unspecified action against some ZIMRA officials said to be accused of “disturbing their business” through arresting the smugglers and seizing their goods.
“Matibiri’s and Mutamba’s (syndicates) smuggle mostly boxes of Savanna and Remmington Gold cigarettes into South Africa. When they come back, they bring electrical goods, washing soap and cooking oil,” alleged the source.
“While in most cases they use civilians to do the job for them, they sometimes send junior officers in police vehicles across the border, knowing that our staff will not them,” said an immigration department official at the border post.
“Some smugglers whom we have arrested told us that the goods do not belong to them but to police chefs. W did not believe them at first. After realising that police vehicles were also being misused to carry smuggled goods, we began a thorough search and have recovered a lot of goods,” said the official.
“Two weeks ago, we had seized one of the vehicles after finding 15 boxes of cooking oil and 14 of washing soap in it. The two police juniors warned us that we would pay for our actions, telling us that the soap belonged to Mutamba. The following day we were phoned by Mutamba threatening to deal with us. Some police officers who belong to the CID and the Police Internal Security Intelligence (PISI), who are usually deployed along the border to assist us in arresting smugglers have also warned us that Matibiri was threatening to use his authority to have us transferred from the post. They also told us that they were being told by their commanders to set traps and catch us so that they get rid of the troublesome lot,” said the source.
Fearing for their jobs the officials say that they immediately released the vehicle and the boxes, disregarding the normal procedure, which requires the owner of seized goods to write a letter justifying why the goods should be released. This usually happens after a period of three months from the date of seizure of the goods.
One of the senior ZIMRA officers at the border post, who has been singled out victimisation, is said to have written a letter to the Minister of Finance and carbon copied it to the Minsters of Home Affairs and Anti-corruption, citing the abuse of authority by the police officers about a week ago.
Finance Minister, Hebert Murerwa would neither confirm nor deny the reports, but vowed that his staff would continue its fight against corruption and would arrest whoever is found breaking the law.
“There is no going back on this and all those involved should know it. My staff will not be harassed by anyone into submission. They are there to perform their duties and that is what they will do. I am glad you have even seen it for yourself,” he said.
Anti-corruption Minister, Paul Mangwana, though not willing to give names, confirmed “receiving reports of high-ranking civil servants” who are abusing their authority to harass ZIMRA officials into allowing them to smuggle goods, saying that he would soon set his anti-corruption team on them.
“We have names that I cannot release at the moment and they are of people holding positions of authority within the civil service, who are behind corruption especially at border posts. That is why I have warned that they will all be dealt with. There is nothing that the ZIMRA officials should fear as long as they do their jobs with the country’s interests at heart. We will not be arm-twisted by anyone because we have the mandate of the president in this. I tell you heads will roll soon,” he said.
Police spokesman, Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena refused to comment on the matter, referring The Zimbabwean to the “Officers involved”..
Mutamba rubbished the accusations, saying they were the work of his enemies who did not want to see him achieve within the ZRP.
“I would not stoop so low. I have everything that I need and corruption is not one of the ways that I achieved them, so stop wasting my time with such malicious accusations,” he said.