Maravi

(HERALD) Mangoma in bid to bribe service chiefs

Mangoma in bid to bribe service chiefs
Sunday, 17 July 2011 00:43
By Tafadzwa Chiremba

THE Minister of Energy and Power Development, Mr Elton Mangoma, attempted to raise funds from the US government and the United Kingdom to bribe Zimbabwe’s service chiefs, it has been learnt.

According to the latest reports from WikiLeaks, Mr Mangoma held a meeting with some US embassy officials at his offices in Harare, when he was still Minister of Economic Planning and Investment Promotion some time in 2009, where the bribery issue was discussed.

The Attorney-General, Mr Johannes Tomana, has since recommended to the police that Mr Mangoma be investigated on the latest allegations.

It is claimed Mr Mangoma sought to bribe the service chiefs into early retirement under the MDC-T’s security sector reform proposals.

The AG’s Office is in possession of a detailed cable leak in which Mr Mangoma, a key advisor to Prime Minister Mr Morgan Tsvangirai and MDC-T negotiator in the Global Political Agreement, is alleged to have told US government officials that the service chiefs were a “major obstacle to political progress and reform”.

[Translation: the service chiefs cannot be bribed, are nationalistic and will not go along with the neoliberal agenda, which is what the MDC wants to implement. - MrK]

Mr Mangoma could not be reached for comment yesterday. His party’s spokesperson, Mr Douglas Mwonzora, was also unavailable for comment.

According to the leaks, Mr Mangoma met the US official on October 29 2009 at his then offices at the New Government Complex.

He proposed the creation of a “trust fund” from where the funds would be channelled to the heads of Zimbabwe’s armed forces, the police and the Zimbabwe Prison Service.

Part of the cable leaks read: “According to Elton Mangoma, the MDC would like the US to contribute to a trust fund to buy off securocrats and move them into retirement.”

Mr Mangoma is said to have told the US that a number of Zanu-PF insiders had “stolen and invested wisely” while the service chiefs were poor.

He also proposed to take a similar request to the United Kingdom and Germany. “Mangoma said that a primary obstacle to political progress and reform was the service chiefs,” read the cable.
“Unlike many Zanu-PF insiders who had stolen and invested wisely, these individuals had not become wealthy. They feared economic pressures as well as prosecution for their misdeeds should political change result in their being forced out of office.

“Mangoma asked for consideration of US contribution to a trust fund that could be used to negotiate the service chiefs’ retirement. He said he planned to approach the UK and Germany with the same request.”

Mr Mangoma also allegedly told the US that Zanu-PF and MDC could reach an agreement in the GPA if the service chiefs stopped “pressuring” President Mugabe from implementing the outstanding issues.

“The relative power of Mugabe vis-a-vis the service chiefs is a matter of debate. While there are hardliners, including the service chiefs, close to Mugabe, who are pressuring him not to further implement the GPA, we continue to believe he could make concessions should he choose to do so,” read the leaks.

The AG’s Office has recommended that Mr Mangoma be investigated on allegations of inducement.

The Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Section 30 (1) provides for the crime of inducement and reads:

“If any person induces or attempts to induce, or does any act with the intention of realising that there is a risk or possibility of inducing or causing any member of the police force of defence force to withhold his or her services, loyalty or allegiance or to commit breaches of discipline, he or she shall be guilty of causing disaffection among the police force or defence force and liable to a fine not exceeding level seven or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years, or both.”

-The Sunday Mail

Labels: ARMED FORCES, BRIBERY, ELTON MANGOMA, TREASON

posted by MrK @ 6:19 PM