Church bishop gets USD$100 000 tithe money, ZACC investigates

THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has opened investigations into judges, magistrates and church leaders over a slew of graft allegations.

ZACC chair Justice Loyce Matanda-Moyo said members of the Judiciary were under scrutiny, but emphasised that there was no interference on the independence of the third arm of the State.

She also hinted that there were several church leaders who were under investigation for corruption, among whom is a prominent bishop who received a US$100 000 tithe from his church congregant.

Justice Matanda-Moyo said: “The commission is tracing the source of funds which shows that the church member who paid a US$100 000 tithe had made US$1 million.”

She was not at liberty to name the church leaders under probe, fearing to jeopardise investigations.

Corruption, she said, was deep-rooted even in law enforcement agencies such as ZACC, the police and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

“Our institutions are not free from corruption; we have arrested some police officers while some members of ZACC have been dismissed on corruption charges,” said the ZACC boss.

The commission, under the Second Republic, has taken the anti-corruption fight to another level, with properties worth US$4, 8 million and 501 luxury vehicles seized from corrupt officials.

state media