THE State yesterday said a passport scandal in which four Cameroonians were fraudulently issued with the travel documents exposed the country to terrorism activities and human trafficking.
At least 20 suspects from the Registrar-General’s Office have been nabbed so far in connection with the case.
Investigating officer Christopher Tarenyika told Harare regional magistrate Stanford Mambanje during the bail application for one of the suspects, Chipo Matovanyika, that she had committed a serious offence.
The complainant in the matter is the Registrar General Harare passport office represented by Francis Mhangwa (57), the passport registrar.
Matovanyika (42) is employed by the Home Affairs ministry as a processing officer at the Registrar-General’s Office.
State prosecutor Mercy Masamvi told Harare regional magistrate Stanford Mambanje that four Cameroonians Christiana Boyembe Dumba, Emile MuyaMuya, Marvel NgeiTegha and Yvette KumNnam were fraudulently issued with Zimbabwean passports in September this year.
The State alleges that the Cameroonians were given the passports at the intersection of Herbert Chitepo Avenue and Sixth Street in Harare by Tapiwanashe Hove and his two accomplices.
The Cameroonians travelled to Beitbridge Border Post enroute to South Africa, but they were caught by alert immigration officials.
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Masamvi submitted that on September 20 this year, Hove connived with the Matovanyika to destroy evidence at the Registrar-General’s Office.
Hove allegedly sent WhatsApp messages with passport numbers of the Cameroonians to Matovanyika to steal the documents and hand them over to Hove.
Mutovanyika was allegedly captured on CCTV stealing the documents.
