eBusiness Weekly
Business Writer
Government has ordered the freezing of assets belonging to several individuals featured in a documentary produced by Al Jazeera titled “Gold Mafia”.
In the documentary, certain individuals were seen narrating how they help smuggle gold out of the country.
Others were mentioned as beneficiaries of the corrupt activities.
Responding to the allegations raised in the documentary, Government this week said any person who will be found engaged in corruption, fraud or any criminal activities will face the rule of law.
Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa, said relevant organs have been alerted to institute investigations into the allegations.
“Government takes the allegation raised in the documentary seriously and has directed relevant organs to institute investigations into the issues raised therein. Any person found to have engaged in acts of corruption, fraud or any form of crime, will face the full wrath of the law.
“Government takes this opportunity to re-affirm its commitment to upholding local and international laws, including laws relating to financial transactions, the trade of gold and other precious minerals,” she said.
Minister Mutsvangwa added that: “Boastful behaviour and name-dropping by some personalities featured in the documentary, seeking personal gain and glory, should never be taken as an enunciation of Government Policy.”
She said the Government remains seized with the matter and the nation will be kept appraised of any new developments.
Business Weekly has learnt that Government has directed freezing of all assets belonging to Cleopas Chidodo, David Chirozvi, Mehlululi Dube and Fredrick Kunaka.
In a memo seen by Business Weekly, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe (SECZim), which is a Government agency in charge of capital markets, directed stockbrokers to “immediately identify
and freeze all assets” of the above four individuals.
“May you also freeze all assets of legal persons and arrangements associated with them. Kindly treat this request as urgent,” reads part of the SECZim memo.
Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe employee Cleopas Chidodo is seen in the documentary narrating to undercover journalists how he facilitates the smuggling of gold through the Robert Mugabe International Airport.
“You need to tell me what you are carrying. It will also help in making some charges, you see. If for example you are taking money, we need to know how much you are taking. Usually for money it’s about 5 percent of what you are taking, but if you are taking precious minerals, gold, diamonds, the price goes up,” Chidodo is seen saying.
The documentary also alleged that former Fidelity Printers and Refiners general manager Kunaka and the company’s head of gold operations Dube were paid US$30 000 and US$3 000 kickbacks apiece each month by one Kamlesh Pattni to facilitate illicit transactions and gold smuggling activities.
Kunaka’s signature, the documentary showed, appeared on all of Pattni’s gold trading licences.
David Chirozvi’s Linkedin bio says he is
the finance director at Aurex Holding
Limited.
Investigations against individuals featured in the documentary started two weeks ago with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) instructing the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC) to seek from its members’ information on properties insured by businessmen, Ewan Macmillan and Uebert Mudzanire also known as Uebert Angel.
Confirming the directive, IPEC Commissioner Dr Grace Muradzikwa said; “The Insurance and Pensions Commission (the Commission) is required in terms of the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act [Chapter 9:24), to co-ordinate with Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) in the assessment of the money laundering and terrorist financing risks to which the country is exposed.
“Pursuant to the above, we are in receipt of an urgent communication from the FIU requesting all industry players to assist with information on: (i) insurance products; (ii) insured assets held or disposed, by the above-mentioned individuals directly, or indirectly through companies or trusts during
the period January 1, 2020 and 21 March
2023.”
FIU director general Oliver Chiperesa was not picking up his phone when called for comment.
