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| AG's office keen to prosecute First Lady's brother for fraud |
 Grace Mugabe By Geoffrey Nyarota with correspondents' reports OFFICIAL efforts are underway to prosecute a serious case of fraud which has been successfully swept under the carpet by the police for more than a decade. The Attorney General's (AG) office now reportedly seeks to secure the release of a docket compiled over a fraud case allegedly committed in 1996 by President Robert Mugabe's brother-in-law, Reward Marufu, under the auspices of the War Victims Compensation Fund. Sources in the AG's office say a new initiative currently seeks to prosecute the case, almost 11 years after it was first recommended for prosecution by the Godfrey Chidyausiku Commission back in 1997. The compensation fund was set up by government for the benefit of former war combatants, whose military service between December 23 1972 and February 29 1980 had resulted in physical disability or what officials called post-traumatic stress disorder. The fund became a free-for all, while claimants with whatever tenuous connection to the war effort as well as those well connected politically, amassed fortunes. Because of the magnitude of the scandal when it was exposed Mugabe immediately appointed the Chidyausiku Commission to investigate. The large-scale looting of the War Victims Compensation Fund has remained clear testimony to the insincerity of President Mugabe's so-called campaign against corruption. Prosecuting all those involved would probably have brought his government down. The first recommendation of the commission was that Marufu be prosecuted. He faced charges for fraud arising from his claim that he was rendered 100 percent disabled through injuries sustained during the war of liberation. He was awarded more than $800 000 in 1996 in compensation for his injuries, the highest single claim ever disbursed under the fund. The compensation fund was heavily looted by both politicians and war veterans. The large scale fraud was facilitated by the late Chenjerai Hunzvi, a Polish-trained doctor who assessed the disability levels of many of the claimants and awarded ridiculously high percentages of disability. Emboldened by his subsequent popularity Hunzvi subsequently challenged Mugabe openly and spearheaded the violent land redistribution campaign, which government then adopted. Hunzvi first declared himself 117 percent disabled on the basis of impaired hearing and "sciatic pains of the thigh' resulting from shrapnel wounds allegedly inflicted by mortar bombs during a 1977 attack by Rhodesian forces on ZAPU headquarters in Lusaka. While Hunzvi received $500 000 in compensation, the ZAPU leadership quickly denied the enterprising doctor, now late, was anywhere near their headquarters at the material time. Hunzvi rated Marufu to be 95 percent disabled, citing "ulcers and a scar on the left knee" for the disability. Marufu, who was then a senior Central Intelligence Organisation agent was paid $822 668, equivalent at the time to a staggering US$70 000.00. Marufu is the brother of First Lady, Grace Mugabe. According to sources at the AG's office, the prosecuting team has over the years tried in vain to extricate the case docket from the police. The sources said that the AG's office discovered during a routine assessment of outstanding cases early this year that Murufu's case was yet to be concluded. Clarification was sought from the police with the aim of getting an informed opinion on whether to proceed with the case or not. "The AG's office conducts a routine roundup of outstanding cases so that they can be cleared," said the source. "It was during one such exercise that Marufu's case was identified as one of the most outstanding, prompting the prosecution to seek the docket from the police." The AG's office in March 2000, received Marufu's docket, but referred it back to the police for further investigations after a number of irregularities were unearthed. The docket has been gathering dust within the police department ever since. The AG's office issued an ultimatum to the police to return the docket by the end of last month. The sources say they now doubt that the docket will be released to pave way for a possible prosecution, due to the continued lack of cooperation from the police. "The docket should have come back from the police but up to now nothing has been submitted," said the source. "There is a genuine fear that some top police officers could be influencing the conduct of this case as prosecuting it can open the door for other prosecutions for which the police could be found wanting. But all the AG's office wants to do is to simply use the docket to seek an opinion on whether to prosecute or not. Handing over Marufu's docket does not necessarily mean that he will be prosecuted. "The greatest fear is that the AG (Sobuza Gula-Ndebele) has proved to be unpredictable as he has prosecuted several cases involving government officials, including ministers and other ruling party politicians, and this case might just open the flood gates for similar cases." Back in 1996 Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri was listed among those who allegedly defrauded the War Victims Compensation Fund. Hunzvi assessed Zimbabwe's top police officer to be 90 percent disabled after diagnosing "dermatitis of both feet". Chihuri was paid $138 645 for his alleged war wounds. Perrence Shiri, the commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe was paid $90 249 for "poly-arthritis and mental stress disorder". The leading female combatant of Zanla, the armed wing of Zanu-PF during the war of liberation, Joice Mujuru also qualified for compensation. Hunzvi said Mujuru qualified for compensation on account of alleged poor eye-sight and mental stress. Mujuru is particularly venerated for her marksmanship, which allegedly brought down a Rhodesia Air Force helicopter in battle during the war. By the time the massive fraud was exposed 70 000 applicants had defrauded the Ministry of Labour and Social Services of more than $450 million, a staggering figure in 1996. The impressive line-up of alleged culprits included then Vice president Joshua Nkomo, cabinet ministers Mujuru, John Nkomo and Kumbirai Kangai, as well as provincial governors, Obert Mpofu, Herbert Mahlaba, Oppah Muchinguri, and Mark Dube and Stephen Nkomo, now both late. Among those who also benefited were opposition politicians, Edgar Tekere and Margaret Dongo. Zanu-PF stalwart in Masvingo, Shuvai Mahofa, who never ventured anywhere near battle, let alone sustained any injury, was a surprise beneficiary. Fearful of the consequences of his actions, Shepherd Mhongo, an official in the ministry of labour who blew the whistle on the War Veteran's Compensation Fund scandal attempted to commit suicide. He was rushed to hospital unconscious. Contacted for comment on the Marufu case last week, Gula-Ndebele said he was not aware of it. He referred questions to the director of prosecution, Florence Ziyambi, who was said to be on leave. Police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena merely said, "I can not talk about that case at the moment." Marufu was in 1997 arraigned before the Godfrey Chidyausiku Commission to testify in response to charges that he defrauded the War Victims Compensation Fund. In his recommendations to the State to charge Marufu for fraud, Chidyausiku said the President's brother-in-law had used false documents to apply for compensation. Since then Marufu is yet to appear before the courts. Instead, he was promptly posted to Canada as a diplomat. Back in Zimbabwe he seized Leopard Vlei, a large-scale commercial farm near Glendale, north of Harare in 2002. His sister, the First Lady, took possession of another commercial farm in the vicinity. Send your comments to: letters@thezimbabwetimes.com This |
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