Tsvangirai’s minister faces jail over graft

HARARE, Sunday

Zimbabwean police are investigating Finance Minister Tendai Biti for alleged corruption after the disappearance of $20 million in government funds, state media reported on Sunday.

According to the Sunday Mail, the investigations were launched after the money drawn from the International Monetary Fund Special Drawing Rights allegedly disappeared from the coffers of a local bank that collapsed a fortnight ago.

Police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena, confirmed the investigations but refused to divulge details.

“There are allegations of that nature but we are not keen to make the matter public at the moment,” he said. “Police should be left to deal with the issue.”

But the paper also quoted unnamed police sources saying Mr Biti, who is also secretary general of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC, was being investigated for “abuse of office and corruption.”  

Mr Biti confirmed that the money had gone missing but described the police investigation as misdirected.

“The money is missing,” he told the Sunday Mail. “The money has disappeared but the investigators do not know what they are doing.”