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Mnangagwa surrounded by a 'corrupt business network' says the US
10 Mar 2024 at 01:54hrs | Views
ZIMBABWEAN President Emmerson Mnangagwa is involved in corrupt activities, in particular those relating to gold and diamond smuggling networks, United States President Joe Biden and his government say.
In an unprecedented move, Washington said on 4 March that in response to new and continuing corruption it is refocusing and intensifying its bid to hold accountable the "individuals and entities that are responsible for this exploitation".
The US said it is unleashing a new set of punitive targeted tools in Zimbabwe, including the flagship Global Magnitsky sanctions programme, to make clear that the egregious behaviour and impunity of some of the most powerful people and companies in Zimbabwe match actions of the worst human rights abusers and corrupt actors globally.
"Emmerson Mnangagwa (Mnangagwa) is the President of Zimbabwe and is involved in corrupt activities, in particular those relating to gold and diamond smuggling networks," the US said.
"Mnangagwa provides a protective shield to smugglers to operate in Zimbabwe and has directed Zimbabwean officials to facilitate the sale of gold and diamonds in illicit markets, taking bribes in exchange for his services. Mnangagwa also oversees Zimbabwe's security services, which have violently repressed political opponents and civil society groups.
"Mnangagwa was originally listed in the Annex to E.O. [executive order] 13288 of March 6, 2003 and the Annex to E.O. 13391 of November 22, 2005. Today, he is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being a foreign person who is a current or former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.
"He is also designated for being a foreign person who is or has been a leader or official of an entity, including any government entity, that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, serious human rights abuse relating to the leader's or official's tenure."
The US also said First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa facilitates her husband's "corrupt activities".
Auxillia is designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being a current or former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.
The US said Mnangagwa is surrounded by a "corrupt business network".
"Mnangagwa has benefited from the corrupt network of Zimbabwean businessman Kudakwashe Regimond Tagwirei, who was designated on August 5, 2020 pursuant to E.O. 13469 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, logistical, or technical support for, or goods or services in support of, the Government of Zimbabwe, any senior official thereof, or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13288, E.O. 13391, or E.O. 13469," it said.
"Tagwirei is a close ally of Mnangagwa and has a longstanding association with the ruling party, the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF). He has provided high-value gifts to senior members of the Government of Zimbabwe to gain access to resources and exerts significant control over major sectors of Zimbabwe's economy.
"Tagwirei is designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of corruption, and the transfer or the facilitation of the transfer of proceeds of corruption.
"Sandra Mpunga, Tagwirei's wife, has been instrumental in Tagwirei's business activities."
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) designated Mpunga on 12 December 2022 pursuant to E.O. 13469 for being the spouse of Tagwirei and is designating her pursuant to E.O. 13818 for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of Sakunda Holdings.
Tagwirei and Mpunga are the sole beneficial owners of Sakunda Holdings, a Zimbabwean firm that has facilitated state corruption.
Sakunda was designated on 5 August 2020 pursuant to E.O. 13469 for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of Tagwirei.
It was designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of corruption, and for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of Tagwirei.
Fossil Agro is a subsidiary of Sakunda Holdings and has provided it with material support.
Ofac designated Fossil Agro on December 12, 2022 pursuant to E.O. 13469 for providing material, logistical, or technical support to the Government of Zimbabwe.
Fossil Agro is designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of Sakunda Holdings.
"The director of Fossil Agro and long-time business partner of Tagwirei, Obey Chimuka, sits on the board and serves as director of several Tagwirei-owned companies," it said.
"Chimuka was designated on December 12, 2022 pursuant to E.O. 13469 for acting for or on behalf of Fossil Agro, Fossil Contracting and Tagwirei, and is designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, Tagwirei. Chimuka owns Fossil Contracting, which has received Government of Zimbabwe contracts that have facilitated acts of corruption."
Fossil Contracting was designated on December 12, 2022 pursuant to E.O. 13469 for providing material, logistical, or technical support to the Government of Zimbabwe, and is designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, Chimuka.
Zimbabwe's government has condemned fresh sanctions imposed on Monday.
President Mnangagwa on Wednesday said Washington's accusations were "defamatory" and "gratuitous slander" against Zimbabwe's leaders and people.
Harare demanded that Washington promptly lift the "illegal coercive measures".
"We condemn these malicious statements as completely uncalled for, defamatory, provocative, and a continuation of wanton hostilities against Zimbabwe by the US government," Mnangagwa's spokesperson George Charamba said.
"We demand that the Biden administration provides evidence in support of these gratuitous accusations, failure to which the administration must, without any further delay, withdraw them unconditionally."
In an unprecedented move, Washington said on 4 March that in response to new and continuing corruption it is refocusing and intensifying its bid to hold accountable the "individuals and entities that are responsible for this exploitation".
The US said it is unleashing a new set of punitive targeted tools in Zimbabwe, including the flagship Global Magnitsky sanctions programme, to make clear that the egregious behaviour and impunity of some of the most powerful people and companies in Zimbabwe match actions of the worst human rights abusers and corrupt actors globally.
"Emmerson Mnangagwa (Mnangagwa) is the President of Zimbabwe and is involved in corrupt activities, in particular those relating to gold and diamond smuggling networks," the US said.
"Mnangagwa provides a protective shield to smugglers to operate in Zimbabwe and has directed Zimbabwean officials to facilitate the sale of gold and diamonds in illicit markets, taking bribes in exchange for his services. Mnangagwa also oversees Zimbabwe's security services, which have violently repressed political opponents and civil society groups.
"Mnangagwa was originally listed in the Annex to E.O. [executive order] 13288 of March 6, 2003 and the Annex to E.O. 13391 of November 22, 2005. Today, he is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being a foreign person who is a current or former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.
"He is also designated for being a foreign person who is or has been a leader or official of an entity, including any government entity, that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, serious human rights abuse relating to the leader's or official's tenure."
The US also said First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa facilitates her husband's "corrupt activities".
Auxillia is designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being a current or former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.
The US said Mnangagwa is surrounded by a "corrupt business network".
"Mnangagwa has benefited from the corrupt network of Zimbabwean businessman Kudakwashe Regimond Tagwirei, who was designated on August 5, 2020 pursuant to E.O. 13469 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, logistical, or technical support for, or goods or services in support of, the Government of Zimbabwe, any senior official thereof, or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13288, E.O. 13391, or E.O. 13469," it said.
"Tagwirei is a close ally of Mnangagwa and has a longstanding association with the ruling party, the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF). He has provided high-value gifts to senior members of the Government of Zimbabwe to gain access to resources and exerts significant control over major sectors of Zimbabwe's economy.
"Tagwirei is designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of corruption, and the transfer or the facilitation of the transfer of proceeds of corruption.
"Sandra Mpunga, Tagwirei's wife, has been instrumental in Tagwirei's business activities."
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) designated Mpunga on 12 December 2022 pursuant to E.O. 13469 for being the spouse of Tagwirei and is designating her pursuant to E.O. 13818 for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of Sakunda Holdings.
Tagwirei and Mpunga are the sole beneficial owners of Sakunda Holdings, a Zimbabwean firm that has facilitated state corruption.
Sakunda was designated on 5 August 2020 pursuant to E.O. 13469 for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of Tagwirei.
It was designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of corruption, and for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of Tagwirei.
Fossil Agro is a subsidiary of Sakunda Holdings and has provided it with material support.
Ofac designated Fossil Agro on December 12, 2022 pursuant to E.O. 13469 for providing material, logistical, or technical support to the Government of Zimbabwe.
Fossil Agro is designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of Sakunda Holdings.
"The director of Fossil Agro and long-time business partner of Tagwirei, Obey Chimuka, sits on the board and serves as director of several Tagwirei-owned companies," it said.
"Chimuka was designated on December 12, 2022 pursuant to E.O. 13469 for acting for or on behalf of Fossil Agro, Fossil Contracting and Tagwirei, and is designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, Tagwirei. Chimuka owns Fossil Contracting, which has received Government of Zimbabwe contracts that have facilitated acts of corruption."
Fossil Contracting was designated on December 12, 2022 pursuant to E.O. 13469 for providing material, logistical, or technical support to the Government of Zimbabwe, and is designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, Chimuka.
Zimbabwe's government has condemned fresh sanctions imposed on Monday.
President Mnangagwa on Wednesday said Washington's accusations were "defamatory" and "gratuitous slander" against Zimbabwe's leaders and people.
Harare demanded that Washington promptly lift the "illegal coercive measures".
"We condemn these malicious statements as completely uncalled for, defamatory, provocative, and a continuation of wanton hostilities against Zimbabwe by the US government," Mnangagwa's spokesperson George Charamba said.
"We demand that the Biden administration provides evidence in support of these gratuitous accusations, failure to which the administration must, without any further delay, withdraw them unconditionally."
Source - newshawks
