The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has extended the suspension of key executives by a further three months to give more time to auditors to complete investigations into the car scam at the revenue collector.
The executives include commissioner-general Gershem Pasi, Tiyapo Velempini (ICT director), loss control director Charlton Chihuri, Anna Mutombodzi (commissioner of customs and excise), Clive Charles Majengwa (director internal audit) and human resources director Sithokozile Thembani Mrewa.
The directors had initially been suspended for three months beginning in May.
Sources said: “It is true that the executives’ suspension was extended by three months. We are hoping the audit will come out this week because the audit firms have finished everything, they are left to interview the executive, so that they can conclude the report.
The audit followed a luxury vehicle scam in May this year. The auditors have been auditing every piece of information, with a view to getting to the bottom of the matter.
Sources said although sometimes companies would set deadlines to complete the audit, forensic audit could take longer than expected.
It is alleged that the executives bought vehicles on the company’s car loan scheme without the board’s knowledge.
It is also alleged that the executives gave themselves loans that ranged between $90 000 to $100 000.
It is alleged that matters came to a head after Pasi was involved in an accident, while driving a 2015 Toyota Land Cruiser in Newlands and police discovered that it was registered as a budget car.
Zimra is in charge of revenue collection and has descended hard on companies that default in paying their obligations.