The ManicaPost
. . .splashes US dollars cash on $410 000 property
Abel Zhakata Senior Court Reporter
A 30-year-old well-known Mutare man, who is accused of acquiring a huge fortune through illegal diamond transactions in Chiadzwa, has appeared in court on money laundering charges involving $697 000.Believe Ranguna of House Number 7 Acacia Road Palmerstone allegedly bought several properties in Mutare using the money he got from the diamonds stolen from mine fields belonging to the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company.
Ranguna is being represented by Advocate Lewis Uriri instructed by Mr Peter Makombe of Makombe and Associates.
He appeared before Mutare regional magistrate, Mrs Loice Mukunyadze, on charges of contravening the Section 8 (1)(a)(b) as read with Section 8 part 6 of the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act Chapter 9:24.
It was the State’s case led by district public prosecutor, Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira, that on July 4 last year a team of police detectives were tasked to carry out investigations on suspected illegal diamond dealings at ZCDC.
The court heard that during investigations the detectives got information that the accused person was involved in various illegal dealings including the illegal buying of gems stolen from the mine.
To evade detection, the court heard, the accused person bought properties in Mutare with proceeds from the illegal dealings.
Mr Mutyasira said the investigating team carried out further investigations which revealed that the accused person has never been employed by any company; he has no registered business activities; he has no history of financial or immovable property inheritance, benefit by way of gift, donation or winning.
The team also found out that Ranguna has no history of any lawful savings or trading history. Mr Mutyasira said the investigations established that despite the accused person having no traceable lawful sources of income, on August 23, 2013 he purchased a house at Number 73 Chaminuka Greenside Mutare from Henry Mutezo and his wife Alice to the tune of $85 000.
“He used money illegally acquired. The suspect made improvements
valued at $51 000 on the house. A copy of Capital Gains Tax clearance certificate, deeds of transfer and an evaluation report can be produced as exhibits,” said Mr Mutyasira.
On April 2014, the accused person purchased another house at Number 130 Rekai Tangwena Mutare from Oswald Gombakomba. He made a cash payment of $70 000 and made improvements on the house valued at $66 000.
Last year on May 16, Ranguna bought a business premise situated at Corner Bridge Road and Main Street in Mutare from Rashid Noor-Mohamed. He made a cash payment of $410 000.
The court heard that the accused took the cash to Noor-Mohamed who demanded that the money be deposited into his Ecobank Mutare account and First Banking Corporation Mutare account since he had no capacity to physically count and verify the United States dollars.
The cash was then escorted by Safeguard Security Mutare cash-in-transit department. Ranguna is said to have made some improvements at the building valued at $15 000.
Mr Mutyasira said on July 18 last year detectives interviewed the accused person who could not account for the origins of the money used in the cash transactions leading to his arrest.
Total value involved in $697 000.
