Tapuwa Evans Chidemo, a former Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) accountant, has lost his appeal at the Supreme Court, which he filed in an attempt to overturn his fraud conviction. Chidemo is currently serving a six-year sentence for embezzling over US$1 million from the ZIMRA bank account.
Chidemo had previously appealed his conviction at the High Court, which dismissed his case. He took the matter to the Supreme Court, but it too upheld the initial ruling, sealing his fate.
In addition to the conviction, Chidemo’s properties have been forfeited to the state due to their association with illicit funds. These assets were acquired using the proceeds of his fraudulent activities.
Chidemo faced nine counts of fraud in the Magistrates’ Court, and was the sole user of ZIMRA’s Paynet system, which processes refunds for value-added tax. The State’s case revealed that Chidemo manipulated the system to divert large sums of money from ZIMRA’s account to various individuals and companies. He then withdrew the funds and took possession of the cash.
The accused used the credentials “T Chide” to carry out the transactions. He was found guilty of two counts: the second count involved transferring US$45,882.60 into his wife’s bank account, while the fifth count related to his establishment of a company, Armeline Enterprises, which was used for similar fraudulent activities. Chidemo was acquitted of the remaining counts.
