Former Permanent Secretary for Labour Ngoni Masoka has been charged with four counts of criminal abuse of office and released on Z$5 000 bail.
Masoka who was the ministry’s chief accounting officer when Prisca Mupfumira was the minister is reported to have instructed the National Social Security Authority to buy Mupfumira a US$90 000 vehicle from Croco Motors in 2015.
He also allegedly used his position in connivance with Mupfumira to unlawfully authorise the purchase of four Metbank properties for US$4 908 750.
Masoka allegedly directed NSSA in 2016 to release US$68 000 from its social corporate responsibility budget for activities that were outside its mandate to the benefit of Mupfumira’s business associates.
He also allegedly approved a new salary structure at NSSA, and the payment of performance related bonuses, and prejudiced the authority of US$7 187 780.
Masoka is among a number of high profile civil servants and politicians arrested for graft but so far no one has been convicted.
