By Business Reporter – Friday 13th August 2021
NEWS (Mining Index) – AT LEAST 36 000 carats of diamonds are alleged to have been shipped to Angola between 4 April and 16 May in 2013 under illicit dealings, Mining Index has learned.
An internal document from the CIO Director General’s office, “‘Ref/23/13/1432’ dated 23 May 2013, shows that a total of 16 000 carats were shipped out of Zimbabwe to Angola and Hong Kong between 04 April 2013 and 10 May 2013 and a total US$58 million was realized from the illicit sale of the gems,”
“A further 20 000 carats were shipped out of Zimbabwe to Angola between 11 and 16 May 2013 for an undisclosed fee,” revealed a research document published by Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG).
The same internal CIO document clearly states that the money raised was for “Special Interests Projects” (elections) and part of the shipment was taken to “Number 88 Queensway, Hong Kong, “on behalf of the Special Interests Projects” by “Air Vice Marshal H. Muchena” together with “retired Director, Counter Intelligence, Sydney Nyanungo.”
‘According to the JOC internal document referred to earlier, the operation led by Retired Air Marshal Muchena and Retired Director Nyanungo was ‘funded to the tune of US$800 million from Mbada Diamonds and Anjin (Pvt) Ltd’.
A Joint Operation Command (JOC) “Election Brief Meeting” report dated 3 June 2013, reference “JOC/ RG/SS”, reveals that part of the “USD3 billion” budget drawn by Nikuv International Projects to finance the 2013 elections, “US$800 million came from Mbada Diamonds and Anjin (Pvt) Ltd.”
The CNRG research document also reveal that another report from the “CIO Director General’s Office reveals that the “2013 elections were also funded through shady sales of Marange diamonds to mainly ‘Mr Sam Pa’ and ‘China-Sonangol.’ “
A ‘loan’ from a company called Lefever Finance Limited (BVi) which had a joint venture operation with ZMDC called Todal Mining (Pvt) Limited which owned Bokai mine is reported to be part of the funds used to finance the 2013 elections.
Lefever Finance Limited had 60 percent shares in Todal Mining (Pvt) Limited while Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) owned the other 40 percent.
Informants’ privy to the deal alleges “the Bokai mine (Todal Mining (Pvt) Limited) deal point out to the fact that, while the mine was ‘sold’ for US$175 million to the Central African Mining and Exploration Company (CAMEC) through an intricate web of shelf companies registered in the British Virgin Islands (BVi), ZMDC benefitted a quick fire of US$100 million from the sale,”
“The same source revealed that Billy Rautenbach, through Meryweather Investments Limited (BVi), got US$75 million from CAMEC in addition to coking coal mining rights in the Hwange Western Areas that he was given by the government of Zimbabwe for arranging the deal.” ENDS// www.miningndex.co.zw
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