RBZ Unfreezes Assets of Gold Mafia Suspects

The RBZ has unfreezed assets of Gold Mafia suspects.

The move which was announced yesterday evening in a letter by the Director General of the RBZ Financial Intelligence Unit, Mr Oliver Chiperesa was informed by the investigations outcome where the Financial Intelligence Unit could not identify transactions/assets linked to money laundering and related financial crime connected to the allegations in the Al Jazeera documentary.

The FIU thereby directed financial institutions to unfreeze the accounts and other financial assets that had been frozen pursuant to the directive of 31 March 2023. The unfreezing action is without any prejudice to any further investigations that law enforcement agencies may wish to commence or continue against any persons involved.

This is an unfortunate development as earlier in the day, Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda had written to Parliament of Zimbabwe barring the legislative body from investigating the Gold Mafia suspects. In his letter, Mudenda had said that agencies like the FIU were already carrying out investigations.

This casts into doubt, the belief that GoZ is committed to investigating and dealing with the allegations raised by the Al Jazeera documentary.