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Freeman Razemba Harare Bureau
THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has fired three of the four managers who were recently suspended for allegedly engaging in corrupt activities at the anti-graft body while one manager, Ms Sukai Tongogara, has been exonerated of the charges. Those that were fired yesterday are Christopher Chisango (general manager finance, administration and human resources), Edwin Mubataripi (general manager, prevention and advocacy) and Gibson Mangwiro, who was the chief accountant/finance manager.

Ms Tongogara (general manager investigations), is set to resume her duties after a full disciplinary board which was appointed to look into the issue acquitted her.

Sources yesterday told our Harare Bureau that all the four managers were informed to report for work yesterday where they were handed letters which informed them of their fate.

In April, Ms Tongogara, Chisango, Mubataripi, and Mangwiro were reportedly suspended after being linked to corrupt activities involving former ZACC chief executive Ngonidzashe Gumbo.

Gumbo, a former Senior Assistant Commissioner in the Zimbabwe Republic Police, was jailed for two years last year for defrauding the commission of $435,000.

Gumbo bought offices to be used by the commission in Mt Pleasant, Harare, using Government funds, but registered the property in the name of a company he jointly owned with his subordinates.

The State proved that in 2010, ZACC approached the Home Affairs Ministry seeking alternative accommodation when their landlords were about to evict them.

The ministry instructed Gumbo to look for alternative property and he identified 872 Betterment Close in Mt Pleasant that belonged to Diane Spalletah.

Gumbo then requested $1,680,000 from the ministry to buy the property and Government deposited $1,7 million into a ZACC account. He instructed his subordinates, Mubataripi, Chisango and Mangwiro to form a shelf company called Property Mortgage where they became directors with equal shares.

A ZACC administration and human resources manager deposited the $1,680,000 into a CBZ account for Perpetual Properties trust account. It is believed Gumbo’s daughter was an administrator for Perpetual Properties and is suspected to have carried out the transactions.

The property was bought for $1.2 million, which was fully paid to the owner, Spalletah, by Perpetual Properties. Perpetual Properties deducted their commission amounting to $44,500, leaving a balance of $435,500.

The court heard that $160,000 was used for the purchase of a property owned by Poptechnologies where Gumbo and Popatlal Samir are directors.

A person called Da Silva was given $100,000, while Samir received $95,000. Gumbo is said to have allocated $80,000 for renovations.