(NEWZIMBABWE) Tomana warns Makamba, Mawere face arrest

Tomana warns Makamba, Mawere face arrest
by Staff Reporter
04/06/2010 00:00:00

ATTORNEY General Johannes Tomana says de-specified businessmen, Mutumwa Mawere and James Makamba face arrest on currency externalisation charges should they return to Zimbabwe.

Mawere, Makamba and John Moxon of Meikles Holdings are now based in South Africa where they relocated to after government sought to prosecute them on currency externalisation charges.

All three had also been specified and their assets either seized or frozen but in a surprise move co-Home Affairs Ministers Kembo Mohadi and Giles Mutsekwa recently announced that the restrictions had been revoked.

However it was not been made clear whether the externalisation charges for which all had also fallen away. Regarding the charges, Mawere recently commented: “The de-specification means that the investigations have been completed and a determination made regarding the allegations.

“The Co-Ministers (of Home Affairs) are responsible for the police and I should like to believe that if there were anything outstanding they would have taken note of it before making a ruling that there were no grounds to specify me.”

But Tomana – the government’s chief legal advisor who is also in charge of public prosecutions - said nothing could be further from the truth, insisting that de-specification was separate from the alleged “wrong doings”.

He said all three face prosecution should they return to the country.
“People should understand that, like any other citizen, if the police find that they have a case to answer appropriate action will be taken.

“It is important to find out how the responsible minister reached that decision (de-specification). That way a lot of questions will be answered to a lot of people,” Tomana said in an interview with The Independent newspaper.

Police spokesman, Wayne Bvudzijena also weighed-in saying: “If there is evidence and they (the three businessmen) have a case to answer they will face arrest. I’m not saying they have a case and neither am I saying they have no a case to answer.”

Mawere and Makamba were specified six years ago as part of an anti-corruption blitz by the government. Both, along with a host of other business executives left the country and have not returned since.

Moxon was specified last year following allegations he had externalized millions in foreign currency after a fall-out with other shareholders in Meikles Kingdom Holdings.

All three businessmen are now based in South Africa.
In a similar case, NMB Bank Chief Executive James Mushore who also fled the country in 2004 and was specified on similar charges was arrested when he returned from the United Kingdom in 2007.

His specification was acquitted on the externalisation charges in 2008 but fined Z$1000 for leaving the country illegally.

Mushore’s specification was only revoked early this year.