FOUR Cameroonians on Saturday appeared in court facing charges of falsifying information to obtain Zimbabwean birth certificates and passports.
Harare magistrate Fadzai Mthombeni remanded Duma Ebako Christiana Boyombe (39), Yvette Kum Noam (24), Marvel Ngeyi Tegha (28) and Emile Muya Muya (23) in custody to October 2 this year pending bail application.
They are being charged with bribery and contravening the Birth and Death Registration Act.
Prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti told the court that between July 7 and September 16 this year, the accused persons sent US$3 200 from Cameroon through Western Union to bribe Registrar-General’s Department employees.
They allegedly collaborated with Tafadzwa Chiundiza, a Zimbabwean currently on remand, to facilitate the bribe.
Chiundiza, along with Leona Patience Funga and another individual known only as Jeff, paid US$440 to Tawanda Wanira, a Mt Darwin Registrar-General Department employee, to process fraudulent birth certificates for the four Cameroonians.
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The court also heard the certificates bore Zimbabwean names Chistiana Mhereyenyoka, Marvel Chimbwanda, Yvette Maini and Emile Chingwaru with non-existent parents.
The money was transferred to Wanira’s EcoCash account through an agent, who then gave US$90 to Mike Kudzai Chikumba and Titos Mutandwa to process identity documents at Epworth Sub-Office in Harare.
Using the fraudulent documents, the four accused allegedly applied for Zimbabwean passports at the Registrar-General’s Office in Harare on September 17 and received them on September 19.
Mutsokoti told the court that the matter only came to light when they were arrested at Beitbridge Border Post intending to travel to South Africa.
Meanwhile, three processing officers at Epworth Registrar’s Offices who assisted the four Cameroonians are also in custody facing a criminal abuse of office as public officer charge.