THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission is in the eye of storm after leaked audios and messages revealed its investigators were active participants in a murky plot to knock down Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) shares while facilitating an extortion bid by an ex-employee.
An investigation by The NewsHawks in February exposed a shadowy plot involving National Social Security Authority (Nssa) chairman Emmanuel Fundira – who is former chairman of RTG’s major competitor, African Sun Limited – and the tourism group’s former general manager Paula January to knock down the tourism group’s market value ahead of a planned swoop on the company counter for shares at an undervalued price. Nssa is the RTG’s major shareholder.
The secret plan involves destabilising the company and creating a negative market sentiment to collapse the share price, and preventing potential strategic investors from putting money into the hospitality group to run down its value.
The plot, included unleashing Zacc on RTG executives, in an attempt to force them to pay Paula January, who resigned from RTG after the hotelier launched an internal investigation into a suspicious child drowning at Kadoma Hotel and Conference Centre in 2019. She was the general manager of the hotel and is demanding an increase of her exit package from RTG.
Zacc is investigating RTG executives for alleged money laundering. The NewsHawks understands the allegations involve a series of payments in salaries, gratuities, allowances and bonuses, some of them backdated due to lagging remunerations caused by the Covid -19 global pandemic and cashflows constraints, caused by the disruption of the global tourism industry.
Paula January is heard in several audios revealing she is working with Fundira and Zacc to pile heat on RTG executives.
For example, during a meeting with the board on 12 March 2024, a Zacc investigator sent Paula January messages telling her “not to worry” while promising “fire” in the RTG offices, suggesting personal interest.
Paula January is also heard communicating with several people including RTG executives telling them she had instigated the Zacc investigation targeting the hotelier’s executives. She also boasts of her connections to high ranking government officials as well as her association with Fundira.
In several audios, she makes it clear she is the only one who can stop the ongoing investigation.
She demonstrates her association with Zacc investigators by forwarding her communication with investigators and accurately telling RTG executives of impeding raids, well before they happen.
In the audios, Paula January said the only way to end “the war” is when she is either paid or rehired.
“This is war, but it can be fixed,” she is heard saying in one of the audios.
“If I come back, the war will end. I am responsible for this war.
“…I’m behind everything that is happening. Don’t look further than me. All that is happening at RTG, its me. I’m sorry, but don’t worry about other people. It’s me. It was Paula who did that,” she said.
Paula accurately forewarns RTG executives of Zacc raids ahead of time, showing she was in constant touch with investigators.
She demonstrates her close association with Zacc investigators, by revealing she was in direct communication with them during their meeting with RTG board members.
“Don’t worry, it’s (the investigation) under control” reads a message from a Zacc investigator sent to Paula, before she forwarded it to colleagues.
“We sent all the executive team out of the meeting room and left with the board members, we are pushing for the best, just wait and see.
“It’s only that today up to next week Thursday we are out of town on another operation, but once we come back there will be fire in their offices.”
A WhatsApp exchange between Paula January and a Zacc official on 27 January this year after the High Court ruled that Zacc could search RTG offices also revealed her closeness to investigators. Zacc raided the RTG headquarters a day after the conversation.
“We won the High Court application to continue investigations,” a Zacc official says.
Paula responds saying she had been informed by a high ranking government official and the Zacc official adds, “yeah, saka rega tidzifambire nyaya dzacho zviite (we will continue on the matter until its done.”
Paula January then says “aiwa dzifambire sure ndiwane peace. Mari yangu ngavagare havo nayo (yes, pursue the matter so that I have peace. I no longer care about the money they owe me).
The Zacc official then says “Ok Mam, (I) will keep you posted.”
In another audio, Paula January is heard saying she had messages from Manu, whom she later reveals is Emmanuel Fundira.
She says RTG executives were in deep trouble because a lot of things were happening behind their backs.
“A lifestyle audit has been done without your knowledge. The verification of your gratuities has been done. What is left is a forensic audit and I have told them to start in 2017. All this happening because of me,” she says.
She added that Fundira was over the moon with the investigations.
“Fundira called me. I tell you he was extremely happy. By the way, he doesn’t like Tendai (Madziwanyika, the RTG CEO). He does not like Tendai,” she said.
“They met in Dubai recently and he phoned me around 6am and showed me a picture of Tendai. He said Tendai was telling me sh*t about RTG as if I don’t know what is happening.
“You guys are in serious trouble.”
In several audios, Paula January made it clear her problem with RTG executives was that they gave her an exit package in RTGS despite serving the company for 18 years. She said she converted the money on the black market resulting in her walking away with US$3000.
“You will suffer for this. If you give me my money I will not take the other angle, but Zacc will not stop investigating this matter even if you go to court,” she says, in yet another audio.
In another audio, she says she can relent if she is paid but was acting out of pain.
“My fury is (caused by) what you did to me…the saying that says ‘hell has no fury like a woman scorned is very true’…I told you pay and I will keep quiet, but you didn’t listen. That’s where my fury is.
“I was hunting for information and I have been paying for information. I got all the documents that I wanted at RTG. People don’t like you.”
While Paula January is motivated by revenge, market watchers revealed Fundira was more concerned with knocking down RTG shares ahead of a planned swoop.
Fundira has access to sensitive RTG information by virtue of being Nssa chair. Nssa is the majority shareholder in the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange listed company with a 91,6% equity stake.
The audios reveal Fundira has been supplying Paula January with sensitive RTG information including payment details of executives.
In a conversation dated 18 October 2023, Paula January states that she was aware that RTG executives had been given gratuities. In one audio she is heard saying “let me look for an email from Fundira; Fundira, Fundira…” before reading the exact amounts each RTG executive received.
Nssa is planning to offload 56% of its shares, over time, hence the on-going plot to devalue its shares to ensure cheap stock cumulative buying.
ZHL Capital, which is part of ZimRe Holdings, is Nssa’s financial advisory firm in the disposal of its 56%. Nssa is talking to several potential buyers locally and internationally. That is the stock Fundira and his business allies are targeting.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police last month launched an investigation into Paula January’s extortion attempt. The police interviewed Fundira as part of investigations into the extortion allegations reported at Harare Central Police Station’s Kopje branch under CR number 483/2/25.
While the police are investigating the extortion allegations, Zacc spokesperson Simiso Mlevu confirmed the anti-corruption body was investigating RTG executives of money laundering allegations.
She insisted the ongoing investigation was in line with Zacc’s mandate. This is despite the compromising exchanges between Paula January and investigators.
“…This investigation is in-line with the Commission mandate, nothing less and nothing more. Investigations involve communicating with individuals and interacting with paper work and in this case, while the said communication has not been brought to the attention of the Commission, it is not clear if there is anything irregular with it,” Mlevu said.
“The Commission would appreciate evidence of the said interaction in order to ascertain if there is any violation of the standard procedure.”
Zacc was responding to The NewsHawks’ request for comments on allegations that Paula January, had weaponised Zacc to pursue a personal agenda, as evidenced by audios, where she seemed aware of dates of Zacc raids. The NewsHawks also asked if it was standard procedure that its investigators communicate and give updates to an interested party during meetings and whether the commission was aware of allegations that it was participating in a plot to knock down RTG shares while facilitating an extortion bid.
Although a meeting involving Nssa and RTG board members and management, including Fundira, which among other things looked at the allegations of the corporate raid and the involvement of the Nssa chair, in February cleared the tourism group’s executives, Mlevu said the investigation would continue because Zacc was not guided by internal process.
“The Commission is looking at allegations of money laundering by identified RTG executives and investigations are ongoing,” Mlevu said.
“Zacc is a law enforcement agency and is not guided by the findings of internal processes within organisations. If the RTG board cleared its executives, that has no bearing on the criminal investigations being conducted by the Commission.”
Zacc first descended on RTG Corporate Office on 13 September 2023, armed with a search and seizure warrant for fraud. The charge emanated from a five-year strategy retreat held in Dubai by the board and senior managers.
The anti-corruption body demanded cabinet authority for the trip as well as travel and payment records.
RTG however applied for an urgent stay of execution, which the High Court granted on 18 September 2023. RTG argued that as a listed company, officials do not require cabinet approval to travel. RTG won the court application as the judge dismissed the search and seizure warrant.
But Zacc returned on 28 February 2024 with another warrant alleging money laundering and illegal foreign currency dealings. The commission sought payroll and employment records of six senior executives; chief executive MacGerald Tendai Madziwanyika, Napoleon Kudakwashe Mtukwa, Tapiwa Mari, Tichaona Gabriel Hwingwiri, Laurence Dhemba, and Shupikai Marware.
The RTG board then tasked its Audit and Risk Committee and Human Resources Committee chairpersons to engage Zacc.
The board members met Zacc investigators on 12 March 2024 where the anti-corruption body presented bank statements of the six executives.
Zacc questioned salary deposits made by the group into the executives’ accounts.
Although RTG questioned how salary deposits could be linked to money laundering, the board, chaired by Douglas Hoto, conducted an internal audit, reconciling all transactions with payroll records, board approvals and external audit certificates.
The board was satisfied that all payments were authorised and wrote to Zacc on 4 April 2024 informing the body of the results of the internal investigation.
Zacc did not respond.
The matter is playing out in court. – STAFF WRITER
