Financial Intelligence Unit widens probe into individuals fingered in Gold Mafia documentary – NewZimbabwe.com

By Alois Vinga

THE Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has widened investigations into individuals implicated in money laundering activities and illicit gold dealings in Al Jazeera’s ‘Gold Mafia’ documentary which premiered last week.

The expose which has so far released two episodes brings to the fore serious allegations of abuse of diplomatic immunity, illicit gold trading corruption and money laundering in the financial sector.

Last week a leaked memo from the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC) indicated that the FIU launched investigations into Prophet Uebert Angel and Ewan Macmillan in a bid to ascertain the assets they own as well as the duo’s recent transactions.

However, a highly placed source in the FIU told NewZimbabwe.com that the investigation nets had been cast much wider.

“The scope of investigations has now been widened to target every individual who featured in the documentary in order to establish their financial activities in a bid to ascertain the magnitude of their misconduct if any.

“These measures are in a bid to ensure that Zimbabwe, which was recently removed from the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in March 2022 after being deemed compliant in upholding the required global anti-money laundering banking standards,”  she said.

The top official said the investigations are also covering non-Zimbabwe residents who offered to bring dirty money into the country.

Individuals implicated in the documentary include pastor cum musician, Rikki Doolan, Simon Rudland, Henrietta Rushwaya, Alistair Mathias and Kamlesh Pattni.

“So authorities now need to know whether these people have at any given time laundered money to Zimbabwe and how they managed to navigate while circumventing the regulatory measures in place.

“There is suspicion that there could have been enablers within the rank and files of authority. Plans are that if unearthed, the appropriate course of law must take effect both within and beyond the borders,” the source added.