Harare Businessman & 2Pretend ‘CIO Accomplices’, Deported Chinese Business partner

A HARARE businessman connived with two accomplices who pretended to be state security agents to kidnap his Chinese partner in a local mining venture and “deport” him to China, a court heard Monday.

Leonard Chiteka, 36, director of Mashonaland Central-based gold processing company, TIMSITE (Pvt) Ltd, appeared in court jointly charged with Prosper Muchenje, 42, and Pardon Matanhire, 39.

They were accused of kidnapping co-company director, Cheng Minglei, and forcing him to return to China on allegations of smuggling gold and externalising cash.

Harare magistrate, Francis Mapfumo, released all three on $300 bail with stringent conditions.

Prosecutor Sebastian Mutizirwa said, on July 26, the trio hatched the kidnap plan with two others who are still on the run.

They then went to Avondale Shopping Centre in an unregistered vehicle and approached Minglei. Chiteka introduced Muchenje to as a military officer and Matanhire as a CIO agent.

Muchenje and Matanhire did not produce any identification particulars but advised Minglei that he was under arrest for gold smuggling and externalisation of cash.

They allegedly informed him that he had been summoned to the Zimbabwean embassy in China for investigations and, further, demanded company documents which Minglei did not have at that time.

Court heard that the accused threatened to shoot Minglei if he failed to surrender his car keys.

The Chinese national complied and they drove him to his Avondale home in the capital where they allegedly confiscated his phones, office and house keys, company files and a laptop. They also took some money from Minglei, leaving him with just $300.

The court heard that Minglei was not given time to pack before being bundled into a vehicle and driven to Harare International Airport.

At the airport the accused produced an electronic air ticket which was booked on July 24 destined for Beijing. Chiteka allegedly accompanied him to make sure he got to China.

While at the airport Minglei refused to board a plane to Beijing but boarded another en-route Guangzhou resulting in Chiteka proceeding to Beijing alone.

Once he arrived, Minglei reported the matter to Chinese officials in Guangzhou, China leading to the arrest of the three.source-newzimbabwe

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