High Court Sentences Businessman to 15 Years for Fuel Fraud
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The High Court of Zimbabwe in Harare has sentenced Hugh Tinashe Sibanda to 20 years in prison, with 5 years suspended for good behaviour, after convicting him and Centenary Tobacco Company (Pvt) Ltd of fuel fraud. Sibanda was found guilty of using forged documents to import 4.47 million litres of duty-free diesel between October 2022 and February 2023, resulting in a USD 2.8 million loss to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA).
Sibanda misrepresented to CMED (Pvt) Ltd that his company had government approval to import duty-free fuel for agricultural purposes. He allegedly submitted forged letters from the Ministry of Agriculture and ZIMRA, enabling his company to evade duty payments.
The scheme was uncovered in January 2023 when ZIMRA identified the forged documents and demanded compensation from CMED. Following a trial, Sibanda was convicted and handed an effective 15-year jail term.
Centenary Tobacco Company (Pvt) Ltd, which was implicated in the fraud, has been ordered to pay ZIMRA USD 2.1 million. The High Court has instructed the Sheriff to seize company assets immediately to recover the funds.
This case highlights ongoing efforts to combat economic crimes and hold offenders accountable.
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