TWO of the five suspects accused of name-dropping to raid mines in Matabeleland South province, while allegedly extorting money as protection fees appeared at the Bulawayo Magistrate Courts on Friday where they were granted US$300 bail.
The two, Percy Pemba and Paul Chakaingesu, appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ernest Muzembe who ordered them to report to the police twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, to reside at their given addresses and not to interfere with state witnesses.
They are expected to return to court on October 4 this year.
Pemba and Chakaingesu’s arrests came after their alleged accomplices Munyaradzi Charakupa, Tawanda Mangi and Victor Jaja appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Evelyn Madzikatire last week.
The five are charged with impersonating public officials, attempted extortion and extortion.
According to court documents, the complainant in the matter is Bulawayo lawyer Dumisani Dube, who is an interested party in some mining companies in Matabeleland South.
It is alleged that on several occasions, Dube was approached by the five who extorted money from him using threats.
In the first count, it is alleged that sometime in February this year, Pemba in the company of Charakupa went to Dube’s offices, where he introduced himself as a member of the Military Intelligence Department deployed to look after the late Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs ministry secretary Clive Mphambela’s interests in Matabeleland.
- Suspected mine extortionists in court
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On another count, it is alleged that during the same period, Pemba Charakupa, Mangi and Jaja connived to extort money from Dube’s clients by exerting pressure on them.
They allegedly approached him masquerading as members of the military intelligence and showed him a file purported to be a special grant application in Matabeleland South.
Pemba allegedly named three miners who are clients of Dube saying they were making too much money without giving some of it to the mine godfather.
They allegedly threatened to cancel the mining licences unless a protection fee of US$300 000 was paid to them for onward transmission to the mining godfather.
Dube refused to pay, opting to institute a court case in the event the mining licences for his clients were cancelled.
In the third count on July 23 this year, knowing that Dube had been appointed a corporate rescue practitioner of Fools Investments (Pvt) Ltd, Pemba together with his accomplices allegedly approached him with a document which purported to give them power of attorney as directors of Fools Mine.
They demanded to be paid US$200 000 each as directors of the company.
As a result, they attempted to extort US$800 000 from Dube.
In the fourth count, Pemba, Charakupa, Mangi and Jaja visited Dube and Jaja told him that he had killed four people and that Dube had no choice, but to bribe them.
Charakupa allegedly called someone he referred to as Sekuru Mambo from State House and gave the phone to Dube to talk to him for confirm their status.
The alleged Sekuru Mambo confirmed that the four had been deployed by the Office of the President and should be given the money.
Charakupa also allegedly called another number of a person he described as very important and a relative to the Presidium, referring to him as Sekuru Paul.
The alleged Sekuru Paul confirmed the four were deployed on State's business and Dube should give them a substantial amount of money
It was discovered that the mobile number belonged to one Paul Chakaingesu.
It is the State’s case that after the conversation, the four ordered Dube to surrender US$40 000 to them through Mangi.
In the fifth count, sometime in July this year, the four went to Dube’s office and demanded US$4 000 for their accommodation for three months and US$1 800 for car service.
They allegedly threatened to harm Dube and his family, prompting him to give them US$5 800.
In the sixth count, it is the State’s case that on August 8, the four went to Dube’s place and demanded US$40 000 claiming to be directors of Fools Mine.
Dube allegedly told them that he had no such money and had no reason to give them.
They then threatened to harm Dube and his family, leading him to give them US$8 000, which they allegedly shared among themselves.
As a result, Dube allegedly lost the US$55 300 to extortion.
On the seventh count, it is the State’s case that on August 31, the four went to Fools Mine and told Allied Security personnel deployed at the mine that they were police officers and gained entry.
They claimed to have been sent by Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga to conduct a survey at the mine.
The security personnel made investigations about them and established that the four were not police officers.
The guards then reported the matter to Hillside Police in Bulawayo.
Investigations were done leading to the arrest of Charakupa and Mangi on September 1, while Jaja was arrested the following day in Bulawayo.
It is the State’s case that Pemba, who had run away to Harare, was arrested on September 3, while Chakaingesu was also arrested on the same day.
Tanyaradzwa Kahuni represented the State in case of Pemba and Chakaingesu.
