Harare - The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on Thursday, refuted claims by Higher and Tertiary Education Minister, Jonathan Moyo, that the money that the minister is accused of having embezzled was used to fund ruling Zanu-PF activities.
Moyo, who, together with his Deputy, Godfrey Gandawa, is accused of embezzling the Zimbabwe Development Fund (Zimdef) of more than $400,000, claimed the money was used to fund the one million men march and some of First lady, Grace Mugabe's rallies.
Zimdef is a government arm under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education and was established under Section 47 (1) of the Manpower Planning and Development Act to develop critical skills for the country's economy.
But ZACC Investigation Committee chairperson, Goodson Nguni, told a press conference at the commission's offices in Mount Pleasant, Harare that according to the Zimdef Act, the fund was supposed to be used for manpower development and nothing else, insisting the missing money benefited individuals.
He said he had bank statements from Fuzzy Technologies, Gandawa, Wisbone Trading and Zimdef confirming all the transactions involving Zimdef.
"No monies from Zimdef benefited any political party. All monies paid out have been traced to the personal benefit of Professor Moyo, Dr Gandawa, Mr (Shepherd) Hozheri," he said.
Hozheri is the personal assistant to Moyo.
Nguni said the money from Zimdef was used to pay for personal furniture, bicycles, tricycles and payment of personal loans.
ZACC, he said, had obtained bank statements through the courts and they had confirmed that Moyo had lied about the money having been used for Zanu-PF activities.
"It is false that Zimdef funds were used to fund the million man march, it is false that Zimdef funds were used to fund any meeting of political parties. The Zimdef funds that we investigated were used to fund personal issues relating to Professor Moyo and Dr Gandawa," he said.
He said Moyo had unlawfully authorised payments without consulting the National Manpower Council and that the deputy minister had no authority to act on behalf of the minister.
Nguni said the commission had never attempted to arrest Moyo at the Zanu-PF headquarters but had only gone to interview him and explain the charges they were laying against him as he had failed to turn up at their offices as arranged.
Moyo was allegedly saved by President Mugabe who prevented the ZACC officers from arresting him during a Zanu-PF Politburo meeting last Wednesday and was later defended by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko who said he was being persecuted along factional lines.
African News Agency