Brenna Matendere

A Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operative who allegedly tried to help Henrietta Rushwaya smuggle gold out of Zimbabwe reportedly claimed that the loot belonged to Auxilia Mnangagwa, the first lady, and her son, Collins.

This was revealed in a court record in a trial that is being presided over by Harare magistrate, Ngoni Nduna, and has since seen six other suspects, among them senior police officers, being arrested.

Rushwaya was arrested at the Robert Mugabe International Airport when she was found in possession of slightly more than six kilogrammes of gold that she allegedly planned to take to a buyer in Dubai.

The CIO operative, Stephen Tserayi, the court record availed on Wednesday indicated, claimed that the president’s wife and son, Collins, were the owners of the gold.

Tserayi was an aide to former Environment minister, Francis Nhema, during the reign of former President Robert Mugabe.

He was then assigned to give security to the first lady after President Mnangagwa rose to power in 2017.

Tserayi was recently arrested for allegedly obstructing the course of justice as defined under section 184 (1) (e) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

Part of the court record reads: “Facts (are) that well knowing that accused (1) (Rushwaya) was under arrest, he (Tserayi) approached the security officers alleging that the gold belonged to the first lady and one Collins, a son to the first family who was supposed to have brought it but, due to other commitments, had requested accused (1) to transport it on his behalf.”

Collins is not new to controversy, after having been linked to a fraudulent multi-million Covid-19 procurement deal, Draxgate that resulted in the arrest and prosecution of his alleged friend, Delish Nguwaya.