Wenslus Murape
Zvikomborero Parafini
THREE people, suspected to be the masterminds in the illegal issuance of birth certificates, national identity cards and passports to a Cameroonian quartet, have been arrested.
Tapiwanashe Hove, Sean Takunda Makuku and Leona Patience Fungai appeared before magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa yesterday, and were remanded in custody, pending their bail application.
Hove is employed by the Registrar General’s Office as a processing agent at the Passport Office and Makuku is employed by Garsu Pasaulis Zimbabwe as a Quality Production Officer.
The company is sub-contracted by the Registrar General’s Office to print passports.
Details emerged that another suspect, only identified as Jeff, who is at large, approached Fungai and Tafadzwa Chiundiza, whose business at the Passport Office is not known.
Jeff requested assistance to obtain Zimbabwean birth certificates, national identity cards and passports for the Cameroonian nationals – Christiana Boyembe Dumba, Emile MuyaMuya, Marvel NgeiTegha and Yvette KumNnam.
Fungai and Chiundiza demanded US$3200 from Jeff, for the whole mission.
Chiundiza received the full amount.
Fungai, Chiundiza and Tawanda Wanira, who is employed at the Registrar General’s Office in Mount Darwin, obtained the four birth certificates of the four Cameroonians.
During the process of obtaining the birth certificates Fungai would send money to facilitate the production of the birth certificate, and national identity cards, through an Ecocash agent known as Obert Mutandi.
After producing the birth certificates, Wanira sent them to Fungai.
The birth certificates were forwarded to Epworth where the national identity cards were produced.
In the company of other members of the syndicate, who have already appeared in court, the Cameroonians filed their passport applications.
Soon after, Fungai allegedly engaged Hove to facilitate the quick production of the passports at Makuku’s workplace and promised him US$140 for the task.
Makuku manipulated the system at his work place and ensured the passports were produced within two days instead of the normal seven days.
The offence came to light when the quartet was arrested at Beitbridge Border Post on their way to South Africa.
Online Reporter