Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka-Chisepo
Court Correspondent
A CHINESE businesswoman has been remanded in custody to tomorrow for bail application after appearing in court facing allegations of attempting to smuggle lithium ore out of Zimbabwe using fraudulent export documents.
Minmin Song (30), a finance director at Orequest (Pvt) Ltd, appeared in court over the weekend facing charges of contravening the Customs and Excise Act and attempted smuggling.
She has a valid temporary work permit which expires in May next year.
The State alleges that in December last year, Song, her co-director Ning Yaokun, who is still at large, and another Chinese national only identified as Andy, hatched a plan to establish an illicit mineral processing and dispatch warehouse in Ruwa for the illegal export of lithium ore to China through Forbes Border Post.
Prosecutor Zvikomborero Mupasa told the court that Song and Ning later leased a six-hectare property at Plot 5 Cheltenham Park Drive, Ruwa, for US$2,000 a month.
They allegedly moved in jaw crushers, a front-end loader, wheelbarrows and TLB machines before erecting prefabricated structures and employing local workers.
The court heard that the accused and her accomplices began stockpiling lithium ore at the premises in April this year and commenced operations the following month.
Song, Shuvai Muza and Charlene Tanyaradzwa Chivandire, who are already on remand, allegedly worked with Ning to process fraudulent export documents and arrange haulage to Mutare.
The State alleges that Song also provided money to facilitate the operation, including payments made to clearing agents and other intermediaries.
On July 16, Ning allegedly made a freight booking with Maersk Harare for 40 containers, while transport brokers were engaged to move the lithium ore to Mutare.
The State further alleges that fraudulent export documents bearing the name of Bikita Minerals were produced to facilitate the smuggling.
Several trucks subsequently transported lithium ore from the Ruwa premises.
Two trucks were intercepted at Forbes Border Post on July 23 after presenting the allegedly fraudulent Bikita Minerals documents.
Another truck had already crossed the border and transported its cargo to the Port of Beira in Mozambique.
The court heard that two additional containers loaded with lithium ore were later abandoned at a truck stop in Lochinvar after the accused’s accomplices failed to secure alternative documentation.
A search of the Ruwa premises allegedly resulted in the recovery of 300 tonnes of lithium ore.
In total, authorities recovered 420 tonnes comprising 300 tonnes at the Ruwa yard, 60 tonnes in the abandoned containers and another 60 tonnes intercepted at Forbes Border Post.
The State alleges that the syndicate had already successfully exported 720 tonnes of unbeneficiated lithium ore in 23 trucks, causing financial prejudice to the Government, with the value yet to be assessed by Ministry of Mines evaluators.
