A five-man gang of armed extortionists, who allegedly posed as military intelligence and police officers, is accused of extorting mining companies in the Matabeleland region while invoking the name of the First Family.
As reported by NewsDay, three of the suspects—Munyaradzi Charakupa, Victor Jaja, and Tawanda Mangi—appeared before Bulawayo Magistrate Evelyn Madzikatire on Tuesday. They face charges of impersonating public officials, attempted extortion, and extortion.
The suspects, who are being represented by Bryan Sengweni, were remanded in custody to Thursday.
Superintendent Edmore Runganga, the investigating officer, opposed their bail, arguing that they were a flight risk since their accomplices remained at large.
The suspects were exposed after they targeted some mines in which prominent Bulawayo lawyer Dumisani Dube is an interested party.
It is alleged that the suspects resorted to extorting money from the complainants to challenge a corporate rescue certificate that was held by Dube.
Runganga argued that if they were granted bail, they would interfere with witnesses since the racket seemed to be involving police officers and government officials.
The gang was apprehended after Dube sought assistance from President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son, Sean, and the Attorney-General’s Office, following persistent extortion attempts targeting mining firms associated with Dube.
In his statement, Dube said Sean disowned the gang and he told him to report it.
It is alleged that in February 2024, Jaja visited Dube’s office, falsely presenting himself as the former Officer-in-Charge of Beitbridge police now assigned to the President’s Office as part of the Police Protection Unit.
Jaja purportedly claimed he was on Sean’s security team, with Mangi as his superior.
Jaja and Mangi were allegedly accompanied by Charakupa and Pemba, who falsely identified themselves as military intelligence members assigned to protect the late War Veterans permanent secretary Clive Mphambela’s interests in Matabeleland.
Prosecutors also alleged that the suspects possessed a file containing special grant applications for Matabeleland South, including those of three of Dube’s mining clients.
They reportedly threatened to cancel these applications unless a protection fee of US$300,000 was paid to Sean, their purported boss.
Dube, in a statement signed at the CID Law and Order section, confirmed his refusal to pay the extortion fee. He said:
A month later, on April 24, 2024, I was appointed corporate rescue practitioner of Fools Investment (Pvt) Ltd by the Master of High Court under CRPB 1/24.
The accused subsequently came to my office claiming to be directors of Fools Investment and demanded US$ 200,000 each. Jaja showed me an official card from the Office of the President as his identification.
On the third count, the court heard that they attempted to extort Dube’s client of US$ 800,000.
The prosecution alleges that in the fourth count, the accused and their accomplices, who remain at large, on July 23, 2024, threatened to kill Dube unless he complied with their demands.
Following these threats, Dube was coerced into surrendering US$40,000 to Mangi.
In the fifth count, the four individuals allegedly compelled Dube to cover their accommodation expenses for three months during their purported special operation.
Under duress, Dube paid them US$4,000 and US$1,800 in the presence of Pemba and Daka after they threatened his life.
In total, they extorted US$55,300 from Dube on several occasions. A report was subsequently made to the police, leading to the arrest of the three suspects.
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