Search
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. Zimbabwe

Ex-CIO boss to stand trial for fraud

    JOHANNESBURG

    Lovemore Mukandi, former deputy director-general of Zimbabwe's Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), is to be extradited from Canada to stand trial for fraud, local media reported on Friday. Patrick Chinamasa, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, told Parliament on Wednesday that Mukandi would face trial in Zimbabwe next month.

    Mukandi, David Nyabando and other CIO officers allegedly defrauded the CIO of millions of dollars through a scam involving the construction of five safe houses. Mukandi and his boss, Shadreck Chipanga, now the ZANU-PF MP for Makoni East, were dismissed in 1999 after repeatedly clashing. They were replaced by Happyton Bonyongwe and Retired Brigadier Elisha Muzonzini, respectively. In 1998, media reports alleged that the First Lady, Grace Mugabe, had built a multi-million dollar mansion in Chivhu, her home town, and registered it in Mukandi’s name. Both denied the allegations, with Mrs Mugabe saying if the house belonged to her, she would have had it registered in the names of her relatives.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join