Former Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) boss Gershem Pasi is accused of inflating the cost of an Invoice Management System for the tax collector from US$11,8 million to US$32,6 million.
Pasi was released on $5,000 bail by Chief Magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe. He was remanded to November 22. Pasi was ordered to surrender title deeds to a property worth at least $200,000; surrender his passport and report twice to the police every week and not interfere with witnesses. The court heard that Pasi was part of a government delegation to China in January 2014 where a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Zimbabwe’s Government and a company called Inspur. Inspur was to work with ZIMRA in implementing an e-taxation programme. Inspur had a local office in Harare.
While ZIMRA and Inspur engineers were discussing the specifications of an Invoice Management System,Pasi allegedly took the system design to a company called Righlux Services (Private) Limited which is registered in Zimbabwe. Rhilux Services, in July 2014, issued a quotation for US$32,649,939.97 while purporting that it was from Inspur Group of China. Pasi allegedly got authority from the State Procurement Board for a direct purchase from Inspur for the supply, delivery and installation of the Invoice Management System. Prosecutors say there was no need for Pasi to engage Rhilux Services as the MOU signed between Government and Inspur in China was to enable ZIMRA to source for products and services directly from the Chinese company. they allege Pasi designed a scheme in which ZIMRA would pay US$20 million more for his benefit.
More: ZimLive.com
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