FORMER Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Terrence Mukupe has been convicted of fraud after importing more than 130 000 litres of diesel without paying duty.

Mukupe was convicted alongside three others, Same Kapisoriso, Joseph Taderera and Leonard Mudzuto for conniving to import diesel through the Forbes border post in Mutare without paying duty in January 2017.

The National Prosecuting Authority confirmed Mukupe and his colleagues misrepresented that the diesel was going to be offloaded in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The National Prosecuting Authority also stated that according to their plan, the quartet replaced the diesel with water in Zimbabwe.

The matter came to light in 2017 when officials from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) intercepted them at Chirundu One Stop Boarder Post to verify the nature of the goods they were carrying, upon which it was discovered they were transporting water.

In so doing the accused persons prejudiced the state of approximately US$55 600.

Mukupe and his colleagues are in custody before sentencing this Thursday.

Source: ZBC