Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation president Henrietta Rushwaya has been arrested on charges related to an undisclosed mining transaction.
The police have not released any specific details regarding the allegations until Rushwaya appears in court.
As of yesterday evening, Rushwaya was in police custody, cooperating with authorities during the ongoing investigation.
The arrest was confirmed by National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
According to Assistant Commissioner Nyathi, Rushwaya is assisting the police in their investigation following a complaint made by an unidentified individual regarding a purported mining transaction.
However, no further information has been disclosed at this time.
This is not the first time Rushwaya has faced legal trouble in connection with gold-related incidents. In November of the previous year, she was convicted and fined $5,000 for attempting to smuggle 6kg of gold worth over $333,000 to Dubai.
Rushwaya had claimed that she mistakenly picked up the wrong bag, which contained gold bars, instead of the bag she intended to take on her trip. However, the court dismissed her defense as implausible.
In addition to the fine, Rushwaya was given an 18-month suspended jail term for three years, with the condition that she does not commit a similar offense within the specified period.
The prosecution presented evidence that Rushwaya was apprehended with the gold in her possession while attempting to leave the country.
She was also unable to provide a valid export permit and had presented a fake invoice and packing list from a company called Ali Japan 786 (Pvt) Limited at the time of her arrest.
In August 2022, Rushwaya was acquitted of allegations that she had offered a bribe to an airport official to facilitate her travel out of the country with 6kg of gold in October 2020.
The current arrest of Henrietta Rushwaya marks another chapter in her legal battles regarding gold-related incidents. As the investigation unfolds, more information is expected to be revealed at her court appearance.
