THE five men, who were arrested for allegedly masquerading as military intelligence officers and police details while name-dropping the First Family before extorting mining firms in the Matabeleland region, have been found not guilty of extortion in a case involving US$40 000.
Munyaradzi Charakupa, Victor Jaja, Tawanda Mangi, Paul Chakaingesu and Percy Pemba denied the charges when they appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Shepherd Mjanja.
The men are, however, facing five other counts of extortion and attempted extortion on a Bulawayo lawyer Dumisani Dube.
Mjanja acquitted the five on one count at the close of the State case due to insufficient evidence on whether they collected US$40 000 or not from the complainant.
He said while there was evidence of name dropping, there was no proof linking the men to the US$40 000 case.
Mnjanja remanded the men to March 21 when they are expected to appear at the regional court for the remaining charges.
Charakupa, Jaja and Mangi are out on US$200 bail each which they were granted on December 6, 2024 while Chakaingeisu and Pemba are out on US$300 bail each paid in September last year.
The suspects were arrested after they allegedly targeted some mines in which Bulawayo lawyer Dube is an interested party.
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It is alleged that the men demanded money from the complainants promising to challenge a corporate rescue certificate held by Dube.
Charakupa, Jaja and Mangi were arrested after Dube went to Harare and engaged President Emmerson Mnangagwa’ son, Sean, and officials from the Attorney-General’s office following endless extortion raids against mining firms in which he is an interested party.
In his statement, Dube said Sean disowned the gang and told him to report the matter to the police.
Allegations are that in February last year, Jaja visited Dube’s office and introduced himself as former officer-in-charge Beitbridge police who was now attached to the President’s Office as a member of the Police Protection Unit.
He allegedly claimed to have been deployed to Sean’s security team, with Mangi as his immediate boss in the Office of the President.
It is the State’s case that they were in the company of Charakupa and Pemba, who claimed to be members of the military intelligence deployed to look after the late War Veterans ministry permanent secretary Clive Mphambela’s interests in Matabeleland.
The court heard that they were in possession of a file with special grant applications for Matabeleland South province belonging to different individuals who included three of Dube’s clients.
They allegedly said the claims would be cancelled unless a protection fee of US$300 000 was paid to Sean.
In his statement signed at the CID Law and Order section, Dube said he refused to pay.
“A month later, on April 24, 2024, I was appointed corporate rescue practitioner of Fools Investment (Pvt) Ltd by 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,” the statement read.
On the third count, the court heard that they attempted to extort Dube’s client of US$800 000.
The prosecution alleged that on the fourth count, the five on July 23 last year, threatened to kill Dube unless he gave in to their demands.
After the threats, Dube was ordered to surrender US$40 000 to Mangi.
On count five, they allegedly forced Dube to pay for their accommodation covering a period of three months they were on the alleged special operation.
Dube gave them US$4 000 and US$1 800 in the presence of Pemba and Daka after they threatened to kill him.
In total, they extorted US$55 300 from Dube on several occasions.
A report was made to the police, leading to the arrest of the three suspects.
Brenda Nyoni is representing the State.
