A Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) senior reporter Tendai Munengwa and an intelligence officer, Henry Kachere, appeared in court over the weekend after they allegedly extorted businessman and ZANU PF councillor Scott Sakupwanya.
<a href="https://www.hmetro.co.zw/duo-nabbed-for-extorting-top-businessman/">H-Metro</a> reported that Munengwa and Kachere appeared before magistrate Yeukai Dzuda who remanded them in custody to Saturday, 11 February for bail considerations.
Prosecutors said the two men connived to extort money from Sakupwanya by threatening to expose some sensitive classified information of some illegal gold dealings they allegedly claimed were happening at his company, Better Brands Jewellery.
Better Brands was recently ordered to suspend its operations at Redwing Mine in Penhalonga, by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), following reports of the deaths of scores of artisanal miners.
It is alleged that before implementing their plan, Munengwa approached Sakupwanya and demanded US$25 000 so that he could bring the documents and cause their destruction upon payment.
Sakupwanya is alleged to have indicated that he could afford US$15 000.
Munengwa allegedly accepted the money and indicated he was going to bring the CIO officers handling the matter to his offices on 9 February.
On the same day, the police obtained a trap authority and Sakupwanya gave the money to Tozivepi Milward, his security officer, to give the money to the two.
It is further alleged that Munengwa and Kachere went to Better Brands offices in Greendale where Kachere showed Milward the file, which they claimed contained incriminating information.
Milward then handed over the trap money to Munengwa who received it and took possession of the cash.
The police reacted promptly and arrested the two at the scene and recovered the trap money from Munengwa.

Pindula News

ZBC Senior Reporter, CIO Officer Arrested For Extorting ZANU PF Councillor

Redwing Mine in Penhalonga, which is being run by ZANU PF benefactor and prominent gold dealer Pedzisai Scott Sakupwanya, has temporarily been closed by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) following reports of deaths of scores of artisanal miners.
Sakupwanya through his company Better Brands Mining has for some time, been defying EMA’s directive to stop operations until some civic groups threatened to demonstrate at the mine.
Three civic groups, that is Centre for Research and Development (CRD), Ziva Community Empowerment Trust, and Penhalonga Youth Development Ratepayers Trust, issued a joint statement on Sunday, 22 January.
In the statement, the groups claimed that 100 artisanal have died at Sakupwanya’s mine since 2020.
In a letter dated 20 January 2023, Better Brands said it was suspending operations in compliance with EMA’s directives. It reads:
<blockquote>
Better Brands hereby advises its valued stakeholders that all surface mining operations shall be suspended with immediate effect due to the concerns about the increased number of fatalities, and environmental degradation.
Better Brands Mining shall take this opportunity to restructure and rehabilitate the mining field in preparation for the resumption of surface and underground mining.
</blockquote>
CRD director James Mupfumi, however, questioned Better Brands’ sincerity in addressing the issues raised by EMA. He said:
<blockquote>
It is a temporary ban meant to fool the country from demanding accountability.
It has happened twice with lies on promises to return to safe mining practices.
We are approaching the government and Parliament to summon Better Brands.
</blockquote>
Mupfumi said if the government fails to address their grievances, they will approach the United Nations (UN) for redress. | <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200006494/mine-deaths-haunt-ed-ally">NewsDay</a>

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