Zimbabwe January 2007 |
|
| Zimbabwe police bust visa scam, (Daily Mirror, 2007-01-17):-Police in Zimbabwe have bust a visa scam involving two government officials who tried to obtain South African visas by purporting that the travel documents were meant for Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) officials on a diplomatic mission. George Kundunga (28), a registry clerk at the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Immigration Department and Phillemon Zembe (46), also a clerk in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were arrested and appeared before magistrate Stanley Chimedza recently. The duo was charged with contravening section 174 (1) (a) of the Criminal Codification (Law and Reform) Act for doing something that is contrary to their duties as public officers. Kundunga and Zembe were alternatively charged with bribery after it emerged they allegedly demanded bribes ranging from $15 000 to $45 000 from four prospective visa applicants in return for the travel permits, which have become difficult to obtain. Allegations against the pair are that in October last year they devised a plan to process South African visas for various people in the capital. Prosecutor Nomathemba Gabella told the court that Kundunga approached Givemore Cheu, passport number BN103785, Lauren Mazonde – BN15281, Josephine Gumunyu – BN080724 and Milca Zunidza – ZE283659. Kundunga allegedly told the four that he was employed at the Immigration Department and as such he was in a position to obtain South African visas for them for a fee ranging from $15 000 to $45 000 per applicant. He allegedly originated a letter to the South African Embassy on a Ministry of Foreign Affairs letterhead bearing the Zimbabwe logo. In the fraudulent letter, Kundunga allegedly lied that the four visa applicants were ZTA employees intending to travel to South Africa on diplomatic assignment. Kundunga then allegedly passed on the papers to colleague, Zembe at the foreign affairs ministry. Zembe allegedly endorsed the application forms and the letters with his ministry’s official stamp and placed them in the South African Embassy’s box for collection by messengers. After the fake documents were delivered to the South African Embassy, the officials there became suspicious, as the parcels were not the usual documents they expected to come from the foreign affairs ministry in relation to visa applications. After liaison between the South African Embassy and the foreign affairs ministry, the matter was reported to the police who tracked down the passport holders, Cheu, Mazonde, Gumunyu and Zunidza. The four led the police to Kundunga who allegedly admitted to falsifying the letters to the South African Embassy and filling in the visa application forms without the applicants’ knowledge. Kundunga led the police to his alleged accomplice Zembe, who also admitted to stamping the fraudulent letters. Police also searched Zembe’s office and allegedly recovered a completed visa form for Josphat Moyo, a forged letter recommending Godfrey Nyamanjere and Tendai Matinyadze to the South African Embassy for issuance of the visas. According to court papers, Nyamanjere and Matinyadze are drivers at the foreign affairs ministry and were being recommended for diplomatic visas. Also allegedly recovered from Zembe’s office were eight blank visa application forms. Gabella alleges that Kundunga and Zembe’s duties, as public officers do not include processing visas. The two were not asked to plead to the corruption charges and were remanded out of custody to March 14 on $20 000 bail each. | |
South African Migration Project (SAMP) - Queen's University - http://www.queensu.ca/samp |