Top Army Official Peter Muchakazi Dies Before US$20 million Fraud Case Trial
Savanna News has learnt that a top army official who was a central figure in a fraud case involving more than US$20 million allegedly siphoned from Zimbabwe’s ministry of defence died a day before he was due in court.
According to sources who spoke to ZimLive, Peter Muchakazi (56) who was an army procurement officer died just a few hours after complaining of chest pains on Sunday night.
Muchakazi’s death was confirmed by ministry of defence secretary Mark Grey Marongwe who said the family would be in a better position to comment on how the top army official passed away.
“The family of the deceased will be in a better position to comment about how he died,” he said.
The late Muchakazi was suspected to be the ringleader of a well-orchestrated con in which fake invoices were raised for services allegedly rendered to the ministry.
Muchakazi was co-accused with Jonathan Tandangu, Dhuvai Muzenda and Maria Fungisai Chiurira.
The matter caught the attention of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) in December last year resulting in some army commanders being investigated for being part of the scam.
South Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper, on January 12 this year, reported that the matter involving Muchakazi was the reason behind Danison Muvandi, the director of finance and human resources, fleeing the country. His whereabouts remain unknown.
Allegations of corruption at the ministry of defence investigated by ZACC implicate army officers and civilian employees.
In December, army chief-of-staff quartermaster Maj-Gen Hlanganani Dube — one of the ZDF’s top five commanders — was implicated in the theft of 30 tonnes of beef from a recruitment training depot in Matabeleland South.
Dube’s driver was arrested by counterintelligence operatives and pointed the finger at his boss, who was put on forced leave pending completion of an investigation.
The commander of One Commando regiment in Harare, Lt-Col Enock Chivhima, was arrested last May and charged with stealing beef rations meant for his troops.
He and eight other soldiers were also arrested on suspicion of stealing donations for victims of Cyclone Idai.
The looting at the ministry was unearthed at a time when soldiers in the barracks had to do with only one meal a day.
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