CIO trio in dock for robbery and extortion

Source: CIO trio in dock for robbery and extortion -Newsday Zimbabwe

THREE state security agents linked to the Presidential Guard appeared in court yesterday facing charges of extorting money from and robbing a Chinese national of $2,800.

Chamunorwa Victor Chinorwiwa (32), Hilary Maravanyika (28) and Tawanda Ngoshi (39) appeared before Harare Regional Magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa, who remanded them in custody until today pending a ruling on their application, where they will be remanded in pre-trial detention.

The complainant is Enjie Zhang (49), a Chinese national.

Prosecutor Anesu Chirenje said the trio went to the Murodzi Mining Claim in Concession, Mazowe District, on October 19 using a dark blue Toyota Hilux GD-6 double cab vehicle without registration plates.

When they got there, Chirenje said, the officers identified themselves as officers of the Central Intelligence Organization on duty and allegedly ordered Zhang and his 25 miners to sit on the ground.

They were waving guns.

According to court documents, the trio threatened to shoot Zhang or his miners if they tried to flee.

They also allegedly ordered Zhang and his fellow Chinese citizens who were present to produce their identity documents, mining certificates and work permits.

The court heard that Zhang and his colleagues produced their identity documents but failed to produce mining certificates and work permits which they said were in the custody of Ms Hu, the general manager, who was in Harare.

The officers accused Zhang of conducting illegal mining activities in the area and asked to pay $2,000 in cash so they could be released.

They allegedly demanded that Zhang contact Hu to hand over the bribe money.

One of the state agents, a Simbabure, who is already in pretrial detention, reportedly spoke to Hu via Zhang’s phone to hand over the bribe to Ngoshi.

Hu then reportedly contacted Godfrey Zambuko, employed by Holden Field Investments, who was in Harare, and asked him to go to Zimbabwe House to hand over the $2,000 bribe to Ngoshi.

The state alleged that Zambuko went to Zimbabwe House and gave Ngoshi the money.

The court heard that the trio allegedly extorted money from another Chinese national, Hang Hainglin, who escaped from the mine site and went to a nearby mine site, where he was given $1,000 to give to state agents.

Kelvinator Don Paricha, working as an interpreter, reportedly gave them $800, which led to Zhang and the other miners being released.

Chirenje further alleged that on October 21, the suspect called Zambuko and invited him to Zimbabwe House where they wanted to talk to him about additional bribes.

On October 22, Zambuko reportedly informed Isheanesu Kufakunesu of the President’s Ministry about the matter and the two went to Zimbabwe House where they met Simbabure, leading to their arrest.

Simbabure implicated other state agents, leading to their arrest.