The Herald (Zimbabwe)

ZACC official takes RBZ to High Court

- Fungai Lupande Senior Court Reporter

ZIMBABWE Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) general manager Ms Sukai Tongogara has approached the High Court seeking the placement of a caveat on her Alexandra Park home which she benefited from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) in 2009.

She claims that she got the property and a motor vehicle through a programme to capacitate and retain ZACC employees.

In the applicatio­n, Ms Tongogara claims that the house was never registered in her name and now RBZ wants to sell it to a third party.

Arigato Investment (Pvt) Ltd, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Registrar of Deeds are cited as respondent­s.

“This is a chamber applicatio­n for the placement of a caveat on an immovable property, stand 11524 of Salisbury Township lands measuring 2 005 square metres,” read the applicatio­n.

“In 2009, I benefited a motor vehicle and immovable property under the RBZ’s capacity enhancemen­t and skills retention scheme wherein the RBZ was capacitati­ng ZACC and assisting the Commission to retain its employees.”

RBZ provided support including a housing scheme and a motor vehicle programme which Ms Tongogara both benefited, read the papers.

She said RBZ purchased three immovable properties for the chief executive and two general managers, including herself.

According to court papers, she was allocated stand 11524 of Salisbury Township measuring 2 005 square metres known as 13 Basset Crescent, Alexandra Park, Harare.

“The property was handed to me by Arigato Investment (Pvt) Ltd employees and I have been residing at this property from 2009,” said Tongogara.

Tongogara said she requested to have title deeds to the house in her name during a meeting at RBZ on May 14, 2009.

She was advised that the houses would be registered under shelf companies to comply with the RBZ policy.

Ms Tongogara said she was assured that payment for the transfer was made and she could make the necessary changes into her name as soon as she received the title deeds.

She claims that RBZ registered the title in the name of Arigato Investment (Pvt) Ltd.

She told the court that she was handed over the title deeds and offered the right to purchase on May 15, 2009.

RBZ later requested the title deeds for audit purposes.

In 2017, the ZACC approached RBZ claiming ownership of the said property, said Ms Tongogara.

Ms Tongogara filed an applicatio­n for the placement of a caveat on the property on July 7, 2017, which she withdrew on September 1 the same year after being offered to buy the property.

She said on September 29, 2017, a meeting was held and RBZ agreed to take her submission­s into considerat­ion.

Follow- ups in 2018 until May 2019 were fruitless and Ms Tongogara claims that RBZ wants to sell the house to a third party.

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