HARARE – Former Transport Minister Jorum Gumbo was arrested on Monday accused of corruption involving a US$70 million deal to acquire four planes from Malaysian Airlines.
The planes were sold to Zimbabwe Airways, the ill-fated Air Zimbabwe proxy set up to circumvent sanctions.
Former President Robert Mugabe personally negotiated the acquisition of the four Boeing 777-200 planes which had been retired by Malaysian Airlines.
Gumbo, currently a Minister of State in the President’s Office in Charge of Policy Implementation, becomes the second sitting minister to be snared by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) after former Tourism Minister Prisca Mupfumira was arrested in July.
He is expected to appear in court soon, ZACC spokesman John Makamure told ZimLive.
“He faces charges of criminal abuse of office,” Makamure said.
