EUBERT Angel, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Ambassador-at-Large for Europe and the Americas, suggested to undercover Al Jazeera reporters who were posing as Chinese gangsters seeking to launder over US$1 billion into Zimbabwe that they could give the head of state a gift of over US$ 1 million as appreciation for his involvement in ensuring that the deal to clean their dirty money succeeded.
BRENNA MATENDERE
The revelations are contained in the third episode of Al Jazeera’s documentary titled The Gold Mafia which was aired on Thursday this week.
In the latest episode, Angel said Mnangagwa does not take bribes but millions of money that are given to him as appreciation for sealing deals with investors.
“There is a big difference in appreciating somebody and bribing. At this level, people don’t bribe… There is somebody saying thank you for everything you are doing for us. Big difference because he is just not that kind of a person.
“His election I think they are spending something like US$240 million and that is his money. It’s not the party, it is his money. So when somebody got that money to spend on election campaign, you give him one million, it’s like a slap in the face, unless you say this is thank you,” said Angel.
Doolan also told the undercover reporters that ministers and bureaucrats in Zimbabwe accept bribes to facilitate dirty investments.
“Once we get the ball rolling, there will be points at times along the way where people will need to be greased, ministers, different guys. In a country like the one we are talking about, it’s the only way to get things done smoothly,” he said.
Doolan also suggested that Angel needed payment too for his role in pushing the deals by the undercover reporters.
“He is bending over backwards. He is calling the President. He has arranged a meeting for you already. The ambassador is not being appreciated yet… Now back to the main thing that we have not yet addressed, this thing of appreciation, this thing of facilitation, whatever you want to call it. What are we doing?” Doolan asked the undercover reporters.
In last week’s episode, he told the undercover reporters that facilitating a meeting for them with Mnangagwa required a fee of US$200 000.
Speaking in the documentary’s second edition released on Thursday last week, Doolan, who said he preferred to call Mnangagwa “Number One”, insisted that once he is made aware of a money laundering deal, the country’s leader ensures that the launderers are not arrested and have easy passage into the country with wads of cash and get away with gold.
Before his conversation with Al Jazeera’s undercover reporters who postured as gangsters from China wishing to clean over US$100 million, a man whom he said was his chief security officer collected mobile phones of all the people in the room so that there could be no eavesdropping.
A lady who posed as Ms Sin, a financial adviser to Mr Stanely, both of whom were undercover journalists, asked Doolan:
“We want to be very clear. We are cash rich. It’s embarrassing. This is black money. This is money which cannot be declared. And we need jurisdictions which are not that rigid.”
In response, while implying that Mnangagwa takes bribes from money launderers, Doolan said: “I like embarrasing cash… That is why you need this team of people (Mnangagwa and Prophet Angel whom he has written in his book as Number 1 and Principal).”
“So during this conversation, we will not mention names. I don’t think we need to. Principal. You know who my principal is. We know who the number one is. Number one is the President.”
“As long as you grease the wheels in Africa, there is no issue. And this protection is from Number 1 (Mnangagwa). Now the greasing of the wheels we are going to figure that out ourselves using this team to make sure that everybody is taken care of, everybody is happy, and things move without questions being asked.”
“There is no way it can never happen. How can questions be asked when these people are happy?”
“The police, banks, customs, immigration (will not ask questions on dirty money). This is the executive power.”
“Work with me on everything. And what I am going to do is make sure that through these people (Mnangagwa and Prophet Angel) it happens. That this person (Mnangagwa) knows everything… that you are bringing in this amount, you are investing in this, doing this, and he will be like ‘oh very good, okay, no problem’. Meaning that probably when you arrive at the airport on that private jet, you will have a motorcade to take you to where you need to go.”
Ms Sin then asked: “So it (dirty money) becomes legal?”
And Doolan responded: “More than legal. It becomes protected at the highest level. So that you arrive as investors, not people trying to sneak things through the border. As soon as you arrive in that country, you are now treated as executives. And it’s a system that is secured. Everything will be done with this person’s knowledge (Mnangagwa).”
At that point, an Al Jazeera undercover reporter asked: “You mean number 1?” “Of course,” replied Doolan.
