Top ZBC official arrested

Comment & Analysis
By Our StaffA senior ZBC manager and prominent television personality was on Friday arrested by the police on allegations of defrauding the state broadcaster’s credit scheme of almost US$100 000.

The manager (name supplied) allegedly withdrew money for the credit scheme which is exclusively for top managers, on the pretext that he would “spin” it, make more money and share the interest with colleagues. He is said to have used part of the money to buy gold, which unfortunately turned out to be fake.

He then failed to pay back the money he had been lent, leading to some of the managers reporting the matter to the police. Even some of ZBC’s top journalists are said to have fallen victim to the manager’s fraudulent scheme .

“Managers have a loan facility at CBZ where they can access loans of up to US$30 000 from CBZ, (the manager) would take money and try to get an interest from it,” one of the ZBC managers said yesterday.

The source said the loans were meant to buy cars or houses for senior management, but the offer they got to raise interest from their colleague was too tempting to pass.

“The managers have been trying to get their money for a while, but so far they have hit a brick wall. That’s why the police had to be called in,” said another source.

ZBC boss, Happison Muchechetere would not be drawn into commenting on the matter yesterday.

“I am at my farm right now. I will only know when I get back to the office,” he said.

The state broadcaster’s spokesman, Sivukile Simango, said he was not aware of the arrest, as he was in Chipinge for the 21st February movement music show.

Efforts to get a comment from the police also drew a blank.

 

Disgruntled manager attempts suicide again

It has also been revealed that the senior manager was last week admitted at a hospital in the Avenues, after he allegedly attempted to commit suicide.“This is the second time he has tried to commit suicide since other managers started putting pressure on him to repay what he had taken,” the source said.