TIMB,First Capital bank board chair Devenish in US$500k corruption scandal
Harare- TOBBACO Industry Marketing Board (TIMB) board chairperson Patrick Devenish is sucked in a corruption storm that has attracted scrutiny from the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission (Zacc),Express Mail Zim can reveal.
Express Mail Zim understands that Zacc nailed Devenish for violating corporate governance tenets and siphoning US$500 000 working in cahoots with chief financial officer Willard Zidyambanje and company secretary Tariro Mukoko.
Investigations by Express Mail Zim established that an internal disciplinary hearing was held prior to Zacc intervention but was swept under the carpet.
However, after this intervention by Zacc and National Prosecuting Authority , Devenish has become a person of interest and he is set to appear in court Friday .
When reached for comment on Wednesday, Devenish said his lawyers had advised him to remain mum since the matter was sub judice
“Well my brother ,through the advice of my lawyer I cannot comment on this matter since it’s now before the courts and I will be in court on Friday.
“In normal circumstances I would be very willing to comment because I have no issues with the press,” said Devenish.
The embattled TIMB chair is no stranger to brushing with the law.
Early this year he was charged on two charges of criminal abuse of office.
He was jointly charged with former chief executive Meanwell Gudu and Tariro Chitsunge .
Devenish and Chitsunge were arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission on the allegation that in 2021 they fraudulently granted a US$397 739,51 loan to a local company without the knowledge of other TIMB board members and a board resolution.
TIMB is the body responsible for running the country’s tobacco industry.
It has been dogged by accusations of the board chairperson corruption and influential management against ind
Indigenous tobacco merchants.
They however chose to initiate its own investigation into the Devenish alleged corruption casees and allowed him to continue work as usual ignoring bail conditions which restricts him on his previous case.
