Source: The Herald
Blessings Chidakwa
Herald Reporter
POLICE are investigating allegations raised by an Al Jazeera documentary that alleges several prominent Zimbabweans, mainly businesspeople and officials of Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe subsidiaries, are engaged in money laundering and possible corruption around gold sales.
In the documentary titled “Gold Mafia”, Al Jazeera’s investigative unit alleges that Uebert Angel, Mr Simon Rudland, Mr Ewan McMillan, Mr Cleopas Chidodo, Mr David Chirozvi, Mr Mehlululi Dube and Mr Fradreck Kunaka are among those engaged in money laundering and gold smuggling. Already, the RBZ’s Financial Intelligence Unit has frozen their bank accounts while investigations are in progress and there were unconfirmed reports over the weekend that some of the group may have been questioned by police.
In an interview, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi could not be drawn into confirming if any arrests had been made.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police is conducting investigations and will give detailed information to the public and media once the initial inquiries are complete,” he said.
In a statement posted on social media, Mr Rudland denied involvement in any of the alleged gold deals.
“This documentary is very sensationalised and extreme despite mere selective snippets of wild and broad claims without any context or evidential proof.
“This is done to traumatise and sensationalise for maximum exposure. Any investigation into this documentary is welcome and will reveal the extent of the fabrication of information contained by Al Jazeera,” he said.
Mr Rudland said the documentary clearly lacks factual attributions.
In the documentary, Mr Rudland and Mr MacMillan are portrayed as smugglers who have deals with Fidelity Printers and Refiners to deliver gold bought from small-scale miners to the refinery.
They then export the gold to Dubai and allegedly provide hard currency for Zimbabwe. But the documentary alleges that the two, plus Mr Pattni and Angel, use this mechanism to launder millions of dollars.
Angel is portrayed as offering to use his diplomatic status to carry large volumes of dirty cash into Zimbabwe as part of a laundering operation also involving gold smuggling. And he is captured repeatedly dropping the name of the President to Al Jazeera’s undercover reporters.
The Kenyan-born Mr Pattni calls himself Brother Paul and is featured as someone who could help the undercover reporters launder more than US$100 million.Mr Chidodo is the Airports Company of Zimbabwe Head of Security who was captured in Episode 2 of the documentary detailing how he assists gold smugglers avoid detection as they carry their contraband to Dubai through the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, while Mr Chirozvi is the head of finance at the Reserve Bank subsidiary Aurex Jewelry.
Mr Kunaka is the general manager of Fidelity Printers and Refiners. He was allegedly on the payroll of the gold mafia during which he received kickbacks of US$30 000 a month, according to the documentary.
Mr Dube, who was allegedly being paid US$3 000 per month by the gold smuggling syndicate, is associated with Golden Beryl (Private) Limited.
COMMENTS
This is really shameful from our Police force who pride themselves as one of the best Police forces in the world, waiting for Aljazeera to uncover the corruption which has been going on for years. Planes have been landing in the country and departing with gold and other items with the Police and CIO not saying a word but keeping constant focus on political activists and now they are unashamed to tell us that they undertake an investigation on goldmafia.
The Police is always busy harassing and preventing CCC from holding their legitimate rallies, not investigating the alleged violence incitement by a well known Zanu-PF bishop in Mberengwa, elderly people were thoroughly beaten and traumatised by known Zanu-PF youths in Murehwa but this has been swept under carpet.
In view of this, what would push the Police to investigate goldmafiia consisting of people close to the head of state. Please give us a break, the Police is just an appendage of the ruling party. False prophet Passion Java is on record boasting that nothing will happen to the goldmafia, quoting his words “ muchaita seyi manje, the Police, the Army, the Courts are ours”. Was Passion Java lying when he said this statement, is this not an open secret?
why do you think the zrp are the best in the world ? – have you been on the mbanje for a while comrade
What hurts me most is the use of government resources for a predetermined outcome of the case. These kangaroo court cases are a shame to the judiciary. Obvious all will be acquitted. We have a lot of people who should have been questioned long ago about their source of funds. These guys are being used by government big wigs that’s why these cases are dieing a natural death.