Two senior Zanu PF politburo members, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Didymus Mutasa and his Indigenisation counterpart Saviour Kasukuwere, have been linked to Israeli and Russian underworld gold and diamond dealers who were recently deported after a raid on their hideout in Harare’s Glen Lorne suburb. The incident helped to shed light on activities in the underworld of diamond and other precious mineral dealings, as well as the nexus between politics and dirty business. For some time there have been reports that senior Zanu PF officials, including ministers and politburo members, are minting money in criminal underworld deals involving mainly diamonds and gold. The situation deteriorated after the discovery of alluvial diamonds in Chiadzwa.
Mutasa and Kasukuwere’s alleged links to the gangland dealers were discovered during a raid last month on a hideout located at Number 57 Follyjon Crescent by crack units drawn from the police, immigration, Central Intelligence Organisation and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority. The swoop on the house — believed to be owned by Thamer Al Shanfari, the former chairman of Cayman Islands - based mining company Oryx Natural Resources (ONR) — on January 3 led to the arrest of a Russian national, Alexander Filegon alias Alexander Filatov, and an Israeli, Mike Raslan, who were said to be diamond and gold dealers. Filegon and Raslan were later deported.
It was during the raid at Number 57 Follyjon – a popular rendezvous for hardened dealers frequented by Zanu PF ministers and politburo members – that Mutasa and Kasukuwere’s names cropped up. Security agents who were part of the raid said Filegon and Raslan were unshaken by the raid despite the serious allegations levelled against them, boasting they were well-connected and nothing would happen to them.
“During the raid one of the major issues of interest was that Raslan and Filegon appeared unperturbed by the swoop by security units and the subsequent searches despite the seriousness of the allegations,” one of the security agents involved told the Zimbabwe Independent this week. “In fact, Raslan boasted that he is well-connected within the Zanu PF top hierarchy and alleged that he has been involved in a mining joint-venture with the first family in the DRC. He proceeded to show his political connections by summoning ministers Didymus Mutasa and Saviour Kasukuwere to witness the raid and the ministers came.”
Wealthy dealers in Zimbabwe of all shades often claim without producing evidence that they are working with or for the first family either to get protection or intimidate their business partners and clients. Their allegations have been denied. Security agents conducting the searches said they ignored the ministers as they proceeded to ransack the premises but a furious Mutasa sprung into action by blocking the exit gate and delayed the team’s departure after conducting the raid.
Another security agent involved in the raid said: “It was clear the ministers and those dealers were working in cahoots because Mutasa, visibly angry, even blocked the exit gate and delayed the security team’s exit from the premises after the end of the search,” the security agent said. Although no diamonds or cash were discovered at the premises, Filegon, who was accused of violating immigration laws and working in the country as a “geological consultant” at Benson mine in Mutoko on a tourist visa, and Raslan were both arrested and later deported.
Francis Mabika, an Assistant Regional Immigration Officer, yesterday confirmed the pair had been deported. Mutasa also confirmed visiting the house during the raid but denied trying to protect Filegon and Raslan. “Was there an announcement that there would be a raid? I was just visiting the place and I was unaware that there would be a raid,” he said. Mutasa said allegations that he came to the house after being called by Raslan were “absolutely nonsense” adding, “I don’t do things like that.”
Kasukuwere said he had gone to the house for a meeting with South African businessmen to explain the indigenisation policy and not to rescue Raslan and Filegon. He said he did not know the two but was there at the invitation of Shanfari, whom he said was a major investor in the country. “We were there for a separate meeting. We had a prior business meeting. I don’t interfere with the law. I don’t know the two you are talking about. I was there to see the owner of the house,” Kasukuwere said. “There were some South African businesspeople, who wanted to understand the business climate in the country and the issue of indigenisation. Some are interested in investing in Zimbabwe. By the time we got there, they were refusing to open the gate for officials and I told them to open it and cooperate.”
In 2008, Shanfari was put on the United States government sanctions list because of his links to President Robert Mugabe and ONR, but he issued a statement denying the links and said he resigned from the company in 2002. Shanfari was also mentioned in a report produced by a panel of United Nations experts titled the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and other forms of wealth of the Democratic Republic of Congo, dated October 8, 2002. The report alleged that ONR represented covert Zimbabwean military financial interests in negotiations with state mining companies in the DRC. The report also alleged ONR and Shanfari were engaged in the illegal trafficking of blood diamonds from the DRC and were financing Zanu PF during elections.
The raid at the house was led by a senior immigration official, Evans Siziba, after whistle blowers revealed the two were dealing in diamonds and had stashed about US$400 000 at the premises while trading in illegal diamonds and gold. There were also allegations they had smuggled two Toyota Fortunes and a Toyota Hilux into the country without paying duty. Detectives from the Minerals and Border Control Unit impounded the vehicles on February 1.
Source: Nehanda Radio
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