Smuggling Allegations(01-02-07)

xport of cigarettes has been going on for a very long time and that those involved were selling the cigarettes at 100 times their cost in Zimbabwe, thereby making huge profits, given the forex parity distortions in Zimbabwe.
The smuggling was unearthed when bags containing the cigarettes misconnected in Frankfurt and were send back to Harare where it was discovered the bags contained large quantities of cigarettes.
Billions looted from govt coffers
HARARE – The Zimbabwe government, notoriously known for its kleptocracy and fiscal profligacy, exceeded the prescribed domestic borrowing limit during the last financial year by Z$72,8 billion without Parliamentary approval as is required by law.
The startling revelations are contained in a report prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor-General (C&AG), Mildred Chiri, who has expressed concern at the continued increase in public debt which stood at Z$51,607,189,700 last year.
The report has been presented to Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee headed by opposition leader Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga.
Public debt stood at only Z$1,666,607,091 at independence in 1980.
Meanwhile, government lost billions through fraud. Most of the fraudulent activities occurred in the Ministries of Defence, Home Affairs and Labour and Social Welfare.
The C&AG has also presented a report detailing the looting of $2 billion from the Social Dimensions Fund (SDF). The report is conspicuously silent on the beneficiary of the looted funds. This has now formed part of a corruption probe by the Public Accounts committee.
The Labour and Social Welfare permanent secretary Ngoni Masoka was on Monday hauled before Misihairabwi-Mushonga’s committee to give some answers along with the SDF director Sydney Mhishi.