Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) Top executives arrested for spying

Top executives arrested for spying
28/10/2011 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

TWO top Harare executives have been arrested for allegedly spying for the United States, Canada and Afghanistan.

Bankers Simba Mangwende and Farai Rwodzi – both co-founders of Interfin Merchant Bank and current executives at telecoms company Africom Holdings -- were arrested Friday along with businessman Oliver Chiku for allegedly leaking confidential security information.

According to the state-run Herald newspaper the three were picked up on Friday and remanded in custody ahead of a preliminary hearing over the weekend.

The state alleges that the businessman connived to install communications equipment at an undisclosed location and linked it to the Africom network without the authority of the Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe.

The equipment – said to have been installed in July this year -- has allegedly been used since to send messages to the US, Canada and Afghanistan about confidential data from government ministries.

Prosecutors told a magistrate’s court on Friday that Chiku facilitated meetings between Canadian company, Juch Tech and Rwodzi leading to the firm providing communications equipment capable of transmitting Internet voice over the Internet protocol.

The equipment was then illegally connected to the Africom network and used, between July and Thursday, to transmit top government communications to the US and Canada.
Prosecutors claimed Juch Tech is hostile to Zimbabwe.
Under the Official Secrets Act, espionage is a serious offence and, if convicted, one could face a jail term of up to 25 years.

Labels: INTERFIN BANK

posted by MrK @ 4:45 PM