Mujuru's ally wanted by police

The Minister of State for Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs Martin Tafara Dinha is wanted by police after he failed to turn up for questioning yesterday following his implication in a suspected kidnapping case of a Chinese national and his forced return to his country. Police said they had summoned Minister Dinha (53) to come to Harare Central Police Station for questioning yesterday but he failed to turn up.

Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba yesterday confirmed the development. "He was invited today (yesterday) to come for questioning but he didn't turn up. We want to question him in connection with the kidnapping of a Chinese national in Harare who was forced back to China," she said.

Police said last month, two men who masqueraded as security agents allegedly connived with a director of TIMSITE (Pvt) Ltd, a Mashonaland Central-based gold processing company, to kidnap company chief director Cheng Minglei and took him back to China.

The trio accused Minglei of smuggling gold and externalising cash. In an interview last night, Minister Dinha said he had no intention of hiding from police since his lawyer Tapson Dzvetero of Antonio and Dzvetero Legal Practitioners had been in contact with them.

"I'm totally shocked by the statement attributed to police that I failed to turn up for questioning in connection with an alleged kidnapping of a Chinese national. "I don't know what this statement is calculated to achieve. I hope it was issued in error. The investigating officer Chief Superintendent Mutadza has always been in touch with my lawyer on any developments," he said.

He said Dzvetero would arrange for his immediate attendance to the police as he was totally innocent and did not kidnap Minglei back to China.

"What we objected to was the police invitation, waylaying us straight from the High Court case to Harare Central Police Station on Monday, October 19, soon after our court appearance. Imagine this matter has been on since July 2015 and some accused who include Leon Chiteka and others appeared in court last month and are awaiting trial," Minister Dinha said.

He said he was well informed that there had been an attempt to use this case by some people to achieve a political objective as some of them were after his position as Minister of State for Mashonaland Central.

"They're eager to pile as many trumped up charges on me as possible to tarnish my image and criminalise me," he said. TIMSITE (Pvt) Ltd director Leonard Chiteka (36) appeared in court last month jointly charged with Prosper Muchenje (42) and Pardon Matanhire (39).

They appeared before Harare magistrate Francis Mapfumo facing kidnapping charges and were each granted $300 bail. They were accused of conniving and proceeding to Avondale Shopping Centre in Harare where they approached Minglei and advised him that he was under arrest for gold smuggling and externalisation of cash.

It is alleged that they informed him that he had been summoned to the Zimbabwe Embassy in China for investigations. Minglei was allegedly bundled into their vehicle and taken to the Harare International Airport where the accused produced an electronic air ticket which was booked on July 24 destined for Beijing, China. Chiteka allegedly accompanied him to make sure he gets back to China.

On Monday, High Court judge Justice Happias Zhou postponed to Friday the trial in which Minister Dinha is being accused of extorting $60,000 from a white commercial farmer as protection fee against eviction.

Dinha is being charged with criminal abuse of office or alternatively bribery. The minister–who is also facing money laundering charges – was granted $1,000 bail by Bindura provincial magistrate Elisha Singano. Dinha allegedly demanded $60,000 from Guy Frank Dollar as protection fee against eviction from his Tzoro Farm in the Centenary area.