Martin Muleya
MUTARE CITY-A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority official stationed at Forbes Border Post together with four clearing agents from Withyou Customs Clearing (Pvt) Ltd and Tayema Investments have appeared before Mutare magistrate on fraud charges.
The five accused Batsirai Mangoma (41), Michael Makonye (36), Zondayi Bechayi (36), Steven Masaraure (38) and Collins Chakamavinga were not asked to plead when they appeared before Magistrate Honest Musiyiwa.
They were granted $500 bail and will be back in court on the 19th of August 2025.
It was the State’s case led by Joice Tinarwo that on the 8th of July 2025, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) officials received a tip off to the effect that two trucks belonging to I-Cheetah bearing Mozambican registration numbers AAN355SF/AD285SF and AAI354SF/AD292SF had purportedly made false declarations with the intention of smuggling goods into Zimbabwe through Forbes Border Post.
“At around 2300hrs, officers received a tip-off of the aforesaid at Manica truck stop, Mutare after being released by Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra). Upon interception, the officers demanded the drivers Assumane Zaquiel Ibraimo and Amando Domingos Rodrigues (both Mozambicans) to produce the consignment’s customs documents. However, the drivers indicated that the documents were in the possession of their agent, Tinashe Maunze. The two trucks were commandeered back to GMS for physical examination.
“The following day Tinashe Maunze (who is still at large) and Steven Masaraure reported at ZACC offices with customs documents which they purported to be the customs documents and on the 10th of July 2025, the two trucks were subjected to re-examination and it emerged that the two vehicles contained an assortment of goods, contrary to the accused’s declaration to Zimra that the consignment consisted of cultivator spare parts and accessories and machinery parts for agricultural machines,” Tinarwo prosecuted.
She told the court that investigations conducted revealed that the truck bearing registration number AAN355SF/AD285SF was routed for physical examination and was purportedly subjected to a physical examination by Collins Chakamavinga, who falsely documented in the Asscuda system misrepresenting that the he had conducted the physical examination with a fellow Revenue officer Hillary Chiwamba.
Further investigations revealed that the truck bearing registration number AAI354SF/AD292SF was released without undergoing either a physical examination or scanning procedure.
Tinarwo added that the fraudulent declarations were inputted through the Asscuda profiles of Batsirai Mangoma and Michael Makonye. Above all the documents were handed over to Zondayi Bechayi and Tinashe Maunze who then tendered the documents to Zimra officials resulting in the release of the consignment. Additionally it was revealed that Tinashe Maunze was working under instructions from Steven Masaraure who directed him to deal with specific Zimra officers.
As a result of the accused person’s actions, Zimra suffered a total prejudice of $18 949.45
