WATCH: Uebert Angel’s lawyer dismisses ‘Gold Mafia’ documentary
Ambassador at Large Uebert Angel’s lawyer Professor Lovemore Madhuku has dismissed Al Jazeera’s “Gold Mafia” documentary claiming that everything aired by the four episode expose was done under a classified operation by Zimbabwe’s intelligence system.
This follows the release of four episodes of Al Jazeera’s documentary which implicated high ranking Zanu-PF officials as part of a clique notoriously known as “Gold Mafia” facilitating smuggling gold worth millions of dollars.
The film featured Angel openly requesting a “facilitation fee’ to use his position and proximity to President Emmerson Mnangagwa to facilitate several deals.
He is also heard phoning Mnangagwa’s wife Auxillia negotiating how over US$1 billion could be moved from overseas to Zimbabwe as part of what Al Jazeera claimed was for money laundering.
Through his lawyer Professor Madhuku, Angel, however, dismissed the documentary saying everything that was revealed was done under the instruction of Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO).
He denied speaking to the First Lady.
“There was never a time when the First Lady was called to be able to say that they will fly a jet and so forth to carry gold.
“As part of the nefarious agenda to undermine the economic interests of Zimbabwe, particularly putting the President in the light that is portrayed in the documentary, these persons sought to use Ambassador Uebert Angel as a basis to then carry out that agenda.
“…. and the national intelligence framework decided that they will play along to see how far it will go. They have already done that and sufficient information has been obtained as a result of that exercise and this belongs to the wealth of information that the national intelligence framework has,” Madhuku said.
On Tuesday last week, the government through Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa described Angel’s behaviour in the documentary as “boastful” and “name-dropping”. Mutsvangwa added that relevant institutions were investigating the matter.
“Government takes note of a documentary titled ‘Gold Mafia’, currently being serialised by an international broadcasting channel which purports to expose a network of alleged money laundering and gold smuggling in Zimbabwe,” read the statement.
“Government takes the allegations raised in the documentary seriously, and has directed relevant organs to institute investigations into the issues raised therein. Any person found to have engaged in acts of corruption, fraud or any form of crime, will face the full wrath of the law.
“Government takes this opportunity to re-affirm its commitment to upholding local and international laws, including laws relating to financial transactions, the trade of gold and other precious minerals,” Mutsvangwa added.
