Directors Linked to Mbudzi Interchange Looting
SEVERAL directors at the Ministry of Transport have been quizzed by anti-graft investigators after whistle blowers leaked explosive details linking them to the pillage of a fund meant to compensate owners of companies and houses affected by the Mbudzi Interchange project in Harare, the Zimbabwe Independent can reveal.
ZACC Cases Amount to US$23 million
More bosses from the ministry were expected to be grilled by ZACC officials in the coming weeks in a probe that could further expose serious governance deficiencies in government after looters forced Treasury to halt payments to contractors last year.
The probe is likely to net bigwigs in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works along with bosses at two of Zimbabwe’s leading real estate agencies, which made valuations of the affected properties, sources disclosed.
The Independent could not establish the extent of the fraud, which sources claimed involved manipulating figures to inflate the value of properties, which would end with property owners and corrupt officials sharing hefty looted funds.
Directors Linked to Mbudzi Interchange Looting
However, it was estimated last year that up to US$35 million would be paid out to about 130 affected companies and residential properties to help them to relocate and restart elsewhere.
Some officials claimed that of this figure, US$12 million could have been paid out to 52 affected individuals and businesses by the end of 2023.
Thandiwe Mlobane, spokesperson at ZACC, confirmed that the probe was underway, but she was not at liberty to disclose full details.
The investigations are still in their early stages. Commenting now may be prejudicial to the investigations.
A source said:
ZACC summoned some directors amid allegations that some owners of properties at the Mbudzi Interchange had their properties overvalued.
The memorandum (containing overvalued properties) was reportedly signed by (a senior official in the ministry whose name was given to the Independent).
Initially, contractors had planned to complete the project by early next year, but are now behind schedule.
In September, the Independent revealed that contractors undertaking the massive public infrastructure revamp countrywide had threatened to pull out after accumulating an estimated ‘US$150 million’ in unpaid invoices.
