Harare- The government has controversially frozen assets of four companies linked to the Meikles family and commenced investigations into allegations of externalising huge sums of foreign currency levelled against the entities.
According to an Extraordinary Government Gazette published last Friday, Kingdom Meikles, Tanganda Tea Company (Private) Limited, Thomas Meikles Centre (Private) Limited and Murlis Investments (Private) Limited were listed as specified companies.
Kingdom Meikles managing director Mr Andrew Lane-Mitchell was also specified in his personal capacity in terms of Section 6 of the Prevention of Corruption Act
Home Affairs Co-Ministers Kembo Mohadi and Giles Mutsekwa appointed Messrs Budhama Chikamhi and Cleopas Mukungunugwa as investigators of Mr Mitchell and the specified companies.
The appointments were made in terms of Section 7 of the Act. The Meikles family led by Mr John Moxon is the majority shareholder of Kingdom Meikles.
However, Meikles family lawyer Mr Sternford Moyo of Scanlen and Holderness yesterday said the specification was “unlawful, null and void”. Mr Moyo said in terms of Statutory Instrument 128 of 2006, the administration of the Prevention of Corruption Act was assigned to the Minister of State for State Enterprises, Anti-Corruption and Anti-Monopolies.
“Although that ministry is now defunct, the statutory instrument has not yet been repealed, therefore, the joint Ministers of Home Affairs are not the minister referred to in the statute,” said Mr Moyo.
Before Meikles’ specification, the most controversial use of the law was the government’s 2004 take-over of assets owned by businessman Mutumwa Mawere, including the country’s largest asbestos mines – the Shabanie Mashaba Mines.
Mawere has approached the Supreme Court for a final showdown with the government.
