Mpofu sacks Air Zim, NRZ, Zinara boards
Police received a criminal report on the $10 million Air Zimbabwe insurance fraud involving top management and a copy of an audit report in December last year but did nothing, it was revealed yesterday.
The revelations came as Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Obert Mpofu dissolved boards of all parastatals under his ministry, including that of Air Zimbabwe.
Several managers including acting chief executive Innocent Mavhunga, company secretary Grace Pfumbidzayi, human resources manager Oswald Madziwa, were suspended over the aviation insurance scam that saw the airline losing millions of dollars.
Police yesterday refused to comment, with the force’s spokespersons referring questions to each other. But sources said the Criminal Investigation Department Serious Fraud Squad in Harare had a live investigation.
On Friday, Pfumbidzayi was convicted of the fraud charges by a disciplinary tribunal. She was found guilty of fraud involving 5 million euros and $1,2 million as well as others of acting contrary to her contract of employment to the prejudice of the airline.
She now awaits her penalty. The disciplinary tribunal yesterday postponed to Thursday next week hearing the case in which Madziwa is being charged with theft and fraud charges involving $2,6 million.
He is also being charged with gross incompetence or inefficiency in the performance of his duties. Madziwa is also being charged with acting contrary to his employment contract.
The tribunal, chaired by Wellington Pasipanodya, deferred the hearing to allow human resources manager Madziwa to bring his lawyer.
The report by BCA Forensic Auditors unearthed massive looting at Air Zimbabwe and recommended that the board chairman, Ozias Bvute, should make a police report in respect of some listed individuals.
The fingered executives are Mavhunga, Pfumbidzayi, Madziwa, finance and administration manager Patience Tichagwa, strategy and economics boss Norbert Machingauta and acting general manager Nicholas Mujere and former finance and corporate services manager Oswell Matore.
Also fingered were the directors of insurance broker, Navistar, which is at the heart of the Air Zimbabwe swindle. The audit report recommended that Givemore Nderere (Navistar managing director), Vukile Hlupo (Navistar director) and Orton Mawire (Navistar finance director and company secretary) should have their assets frozen while an investigation is pursued.
BCA’s recommendations included instituting proceedings against Navistar aimed at recovering amounts lost as a result of fraudulent transactions.
It also recommended that the Air Zimbabwe board could pass the forensic audit report onto the Insurance Commissioner to take appropriate action against the firm implicated in the scam.
In dissolving the boards of parastatals under his ministry, Minister Mpofu said the action was pursuant to the objectives and goals of the economic blueprint, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation, whose implementation was underpinned and guided by a results-based management system.
The dissolved boards were those of Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara), National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), Air Zimbabwe Pvt Ltd, Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) and the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe.
Abdullah Kassim chaired the Zinara board, while Dr Khotsho Dube chaired NRZ. Air Zimbabwe was chaired by Ozias Bvute, while the CAAZ board chairperson post fell vacant following the election of Advocate Jacob Mudenda as Speaker of the National Assembly. The Herald
