The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has unfrozen assets of individuals who were named in an Al Jazeera Gold Mafia documentary saying it has not identified any transactions or assets linked to money laundering and related financial crime connected to allegations made by the international news media. .
Last month, Government ordered an investigation into allegations raised in a documentary titled “Gold Mafia” that is being serialised on international television.
The documentary purported to be exposing the looting of gold reserves and money laundering by cartels in the country. Thereafter the FIU froze assets of four officials, Cleopas Chidodo, David Chirozvi, Mehluleli Dube and Fredrick Kunaka, who were implicated in gold smuggling, money laundering, bribery and other corrupt activities.
According to a statement by FIU director general Mr Oliver Chiperesa, after careful analysis with the help of law enforcement agencies, the FIU has unfrozen assets of those implicated. “The FIU, working in close collaboration with law enforcement agencies, has since concluded its analysis of the four episodes of the Al Jazeera documentary and has also analysed the financial assets and transactions of the persons implicated in the documentary and has determined that there is no good cause for the freezing order to remain in place. The FIU has not identified transactions / assets linked to money laundering and related financial crime connected to the allegations in the Al Jazeera documentary,” said Mr Chiperesa.
“In view of the above, the FIU has directed financial institutions to unfreeze all the accounts and other financial assets that had been frozen pursuant to the directive of 31 March 2023. The unfreezing action is without prejudice to any further investigations that law enforcement agencies may wish to commence or continue against any of the persons involved.” Below is the full statement. Following the broadcast of Al Jazeera’s documentary series titled “The Gold Mafia” the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) issued a directive on 31 March 2023 directing financial institutions to identify, freeze and report bank accounts and other financial assets owned and / or controlled by individuals who were alleged to have played key roles in alleged acts of money laundering and other financial crimes.
The FIU exercised its temporary freezing powers to ensure that any illicit proceeds connected to the allegations in the documentary would not be dissipated or disposed of by the persons concerned and prejudice potential future investigations. The FIU, working in close collaboration with law enforcement agencies, has since concluded its analysis of the four episodes of the Al Jazeera documentary and has also analysed the financial assets and transactions of the persons implicated in the documentary and has determined that there is no good cause for the freezing order to remain in place.
The FIU has not identified transactions / assets linked to money laundering and related financial crime connected to the allegations in the Al Jazeera documentary. In view of the above, the FIU has directed financial institutions to unfreeze all the accounts and other financial assets that had been frozen pursuant to the directive of 31 March 2023.
The unfreezing action is without prejudice to any further investigations that law enforcement agencies may wish to commence or continue against any of the persons involved. Some of the allegations in the documentary relate to money laundering and financial crimes alleged to have taken place outside Zimbabwe’s borders.
The FIU, if so requested, stands ready and is indeed mandated to cooperate with any international investigations against any of the persons or entities mentioned in the documentary. – The Chronicle
