THE Prosecutor-Generals’ office has filed a High Court application seeking to confiscate property belonging to an ex-Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) official, after he failed to explain the source of his wealth following a lifestyle audit carried out by the organisation.
An application against Darlington Makosa and the City of Kadoma in terms of Section 80 of the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act was instituted by Zimra.
In terms of the court papers, Kelvin Mufute from the Prosecutor-General’s Asset Forfeiture Unit, said he pursued the case against Makosa after going through a file from Darlington Makosa Zimra’s loss control division, which is mandated to carry out lifestyle audits and investigate money laundering cases involving its employees.
“I observed that during the scope and course of work, Zimra commenced investigations on October 20, 2019, following a tip-off received from a whistle-blower alleging that Makosa, a Zimra employee had acquired property using funds from corrupt activities and had abused his office to obtain the funds,” Mufute said.
He said during the investigations, Makosa’s work file was also analysed, while searches of immovable properties were also made at the Deeds Office at Kadoma City Council.
Makosa, who was employed by Zimra as a trainee revenue officer in June 2010, before he became a full revenue officer in 2012, cumulatively got US$124 779 in salaries between 2010 and 2019, the court was told.
However, Makosa in his 2016 Zimra asset declaration, claimed he owned two residential stands in Westbrooke, Kadoma, valued at US$10 000 each and another one in Mornington, Kadoma, worth US$5 400.
However, Zimra’s investigations showed that he had another residential stand in Westbrooke, Kadoma and another double-storey house in the same neighbourhood.
It also emerged that Makosa had developed some of the stands to a value of US$66 000 and US$94 000 respectively.
“I aver that Darlington Makosa refused to give an explanation to account for the source of funds for the purchase of residential and construction of a house in Westbrooke and Mornington in Kadoma and then he tendered resignation from work on October 20, 2019.
“I concluded that Makosa lied because he did not declare all the properties that he purchased to his employer. The total value of the properties registered in his name of US$196 015 is more than the amount of money he was paid by Zimra which is US$124 779,” Mufute said.
He said the cumulative amount of money earned by Makosa did not allow him to acquire the properties registered in his name.
Mufute said there was reasonable suspicion that Makosa was or is involved in serious crime in Zimbabwe or somewhere else. Makosa has not yet responded to the application.