Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
TWO Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) officers stationed at Beitbridge Border Post have been fined $700 each for criminal abuse of office after they illegally detained a truckload of liquor that had been legally cleared.
Obert Tafadzwa Charamba, 35, a loss control officer and Stephen Masimuke, 50, a supervisor, detained the truck belonging to a Bulawayo company, Turkey Trading Pvt (Ltd), between December 23 last year and January 14 this year.
The two, who were jointly charged, denied the charges but Beitbridge magistrate Innocent Bepura convicted them due to overwhelming evidence against them.
The magistrate yesterday sentenced each of them to six months imprisonment with an option of a $700 fine. Another five months of the sentence was conditionally suspended for five years.
Charamba was represented by Reason Mutimba of Masawi and Partners while Marshal Chatsanga of Mangwana and Associates appeared for Masimuke.
Prosecuting, Foster Abheki told the court that on December 23 last year, Turkey Trading Pvt (Ltd) of Bulawayo imported a consignment of liquor from South Africa through the Beitbridge Border Post.
He said the company then enlisted the services of its clearing agent, ASB Freight, to facilitate the legal importation of the liquor, which was done.
The truck was cleared by other Zimra officials to leave the border, but Charamba and Masimuke later intercepted it and referred it to the container depot for further physical examination.
The physical examination was done on the following day and no anomaly was detected, but the two insisted on its detention without giving any reasons.
The truck and the cargo remained lodged at the depot until January 14, prompting its owners to report the matter to the police.
They also approached the High Court which ordered that the truck be unconditionally released.
Investigations by the police established that Charamba and Masimuke did not issue any legal documents (Notice of seizure and duty schedule) as proof that the truck and the cargo were being detained legally at the container depot.
Under normal customs procedures, an importer is issued with a notice of seizure accompanied by a duty schedule in cases where they will have smuggled or underpaid excise or customs duty.
Further investigations revealed that the said consignment was never entered into the Zimra books as having been detained and the two were subsequently arrested.