Former Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira on Thursday appeared before Harare magistrate Hosea Mujaya on fresh charges of criminal abuse of office and money laundering.
Mupfumira allegedly connived with a local bank to defraud the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) of millions of dollars.
She was jointly charged with former Secretary for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Ngoni Masoka after the duo forced NSSA to buy the bank’s properties worth US$4 908 050 in 2014 soon after her appointment as Public Service Minister.
The unnamed bank had defaulted in repaying a US$25,3 million investment loan to NSSA that was secured with properties worth around US$32 million.
NSSA in turn allegedly took over the bank’s properties that it held as surety to a value of US$25,3 million on a purchase/sale agreement and classified the bank as a high-risk client not worth trading with.
After Mupfumira arm-twisted NSSA into buying the bank’s property, Mupfumira received US$44 600 from the bank through her company, Beautyview Investments Pvt Ltd, where she is a director together with her children.
She allegedly received the US$44 600, well aware that the deposits were proceeds of crime.