Minister Mohadi sucked into citizenship scam

By Tendai Kamhungira, Court Writer

HARARE – Kembo Mohadi, the co-home Affairs Minister has been named in a citizenship scam involving a Chinese national and a man claiming to be the minister’s brother. Aneti Mbedzi, a 56-year-old man who allegedly claims to be Mohadi’s brother, has already appeared in court on allegations of defrauding Li Chuanya, a Chinese frantically seeking Zimbabwean citizenship.

Li Chuanya is part of thousands of Chinese nationals flooding the country since President Robert Mugabe opened up to the Asian country under a “Look East Policy” meant to cover the gap left by Western countries that have imposed sanctions on part of Zimbabwe’s leadership. Some have been deported for using fake documents, while others have fallen prey to conmen in their bid to stay in Zimbabwe.

According to details stated in court, Mbedzi is alleged to have deceived Li Chuanya that he could assist her in acquiring Zimbabwean citizenship using Mohadi’s influence. The court heard that Li Chuanya was issued with a temporary work permit in January 2010, which expired on December 18 last year. Mbedzi, employed as a finance manager with Fredjust (Pvt) Ltd and also a “self-styled” consultant, then approached Li Chuanya after hearing she was looking for Zimbabwean citizenship in February last year.

The prosecution described Li Chuanya’s situation as a “desperate need” when Mbedzi offered assistance. Mbedzi is said to have introduced himself to Li Chuanya as Mohadi’s young brother who could assist her in acquiring Zimbabwean citizenship. The court heard he told her that Mohadi was a very powerful figure in the country, before divulging that he had assisted a number of Chinese nationals to get similar papers through Mohadi.

Chuanya was initially hesitant, according to the prosecution, but removed her doubts after Mbedzi showed her some documents for Chinese people resident in the country whose papers he had allegedly processed. The court was further told that after a few days, Mbedzi called Li Chuanya to tell her that he required $600 to facilitate the citizenship document. He allegedly convinced her that the process would take two days to be completed.

According to state papers, Mbedzi is said to have later taken Li Chuanya to Mohadi’s office at Mukwati Building in Harare. Upon their arrival at the building, he left Chuanya in the office of Mohadi’s secretary while he entered into the minister’s office. He returned to Li Chuanya after a few minutes before signalling her to follow him to the elevator, explaining that the minister was busy on the day.

In the elevator, an unidentified man joined the two but did not share in any conversation, although Mbedzi allegedly told Li Chuanya later that the man in the elevator was in fact the minister. He was then paid $600, followed by another $100 five days later for processing the papers. Two days later, according to state papers, he took her to a radiologist where she paid $65 for an X-ray after he convinced her that it was a requirement for citizenship processing.

Thereafter, according to state papers, Mbedzi became evasive prompting Li Chuanya to report the matter to the police leading to his subsequent arrest. Chuanya has since been given 60 days reprieve by the immigration department to process her papers. Mbedzi, on the other hand, walked free after prosecutor Moffart Makuvatsine withdrew the charges at Li Chuanya’s instance on Wednesday before Harare magistrate Sandra Mupindu.

Li Chuanya told the court that she did not want to pursue the matter further because she had managed to recover her money. Daily News