RBZ Freezes Four "Gold Mafia" Suspects’ Assets
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has frozen the assets of four officials who were caught on camera confessing that they are involved in gold smuggling, money laundering, bribery and other corrupt activities.
In a memo seen by The Herald, the FIU directs that the assets of Cleopas Chidodo, David Chirozvi, Mehlululi Dube and Fredrick Kunaka be frozen.
The four individuals were featured in a documentary by Al Jazeera titled “Gold Mafia” and were filmed by undercover journalists who posed as investors revealing how they facilitate gold smuggling and money laundering. Reads the FIU memo:
You are being directed to immediately identify and freeze all assets of the following individuals; Cleopas Chidodo, David Chirozvi, Mehlululi Dube and Fredrick Kunaka.
May you also freeze all assets of legal persons and arrangements associated with them. Kindly treat this request as urgent.
Chidodo is the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe Head of Security. He appeared in Episode 2 of the documentary explaining how he assists gold smugglers avoid detection at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
Chirozvi is the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s Aurex Jewellery Head of Finance.
Kunaka is the General Manager of Fidelity Printers and Refiners. He told the undercover reporters that he received a kickback of US$30 000 a month from the “Gold Mafia”.
Dube, who is associated with Golden Beryl Private Limited, was allegedly being paid US$3 000 per month by the gold smuggling syndicate.
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