2 more Air Zimbabwe bosses nabbed

Published: 14 February 2014

SUSPENDED Air Zimbabwe CEO Innocent Mavhunga and his predecessor, Peter Chikumba, have been arrested on multi-million dollar fraud charges.

On Wednesday, company secretary Grace Nyaradzo Pfumbidzayi, 48, was also arrested on similar charges.

Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed yesterday's arrests.

"The ZRP would like to confirm that Peter Chikumba, 59, and Innocent Mavhunga, 53, have been arrested in connection with the on-going investigations into the Air Zimbabwe fraud case," she said in a statement.

"Chikumba, a former chief executive of Air Zimbabwe from September 2007 to December 2010, and Innocent Mavhunga, the suspended chief executive are Grace Nyaradzo Pfumbidzayi's accomplices in the fraud case."

Pfumbidzayi was arrested on Wednesday on six counts of fraud and one of criminal abuse of duty as a public officer for allegedly swindling the airline of more than €5,895,695 (about US$8 million) and US$1,298,827.

Snr Asst Comm Charamba said: "The ZRP would like to put it on record that investigations are firstly conducted before picking up any suspects for prosecution."

She said police do not just arrest anyone but gather evidence to link a suspect with the commission of a crime before effecting an arrest.

"In the case of Air Zimbabwe, a report was made on January 3, 2014, with no forensic audit report available. When the report was later supplied, police had to expertly sift through and analyse six voluminous reports to establish a prima facie case against the accused."

She said the police force was fully aware of its constitutional mandate and would not hesitate to arrest anyone who commits a crime."In as much as we are all concerned with the Air Zimbabwe fraud case, police are appealing to the public and any interested parties to cooperate and allow the ongoing investigations to proceed smoothly," Snr Asst Comm Charamba said.

Pfumbidzayi was implicated in an audit report compiled by BCA Forensic Auditors on the national airline last year.

The audit report, which was handed over to the then Air Zimbabwe board chairman, Ozias Bvute, recommended Pfumbidzayi's arrest together with Mavhunga, human resources manager Oswald Madziwa, finance and administration manager Patience Tichagwa as well as strategy and economics boss, Norbert Machingauta.

Also identified for criminal investigation were general manager Nicholas Mujere, former finance and corporate services manager Oswell Matore and Navistar Insurance Brokers bosses Givemore Nderere (managing director), Vukile Hlupo (director) and Orton Mawire (finance director and company secretary).

Pfumbidzayi's arrest came barely a week after the airline's disciplinary tribunal chaired by Harare lawyer Wellington Pasipanodya of Manase and Manase found that she was guilty of fraud and acted contrary to her contract of employment.

The tribunal, basing its findings on the audit report, found her guilty of authorising payments to Navistar Insurance Brokers running into millions of dollars.
- chronicle

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